Darkness Lives Within Us All
by Siavahda
Summary: When Caleb returns from the battle with Chase, he's changed. There's something inside him that calls out to Reid...and our Ipswitch badboy dosn't think he can fight the call, no matter how much he wants to. NOT darkCaleb! Full summary inside!
1. Prologue

_**Right, guys! A new fanfic for you, and my first ever Covenant one! I was going to keep it private, but then decided to try and up the standard for Covenant fanfiction - which is awfully low at the moment, from what I can see. If you're looking for any good stuff, see my favourites page, and if you KNOW any good stuff, or are writing some, then please let me know!**_

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognise.**_

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Pairing: Caleb/Reid, possibly eventual others also.

Summary: When Caleb returns from the battle with Chase, he's different. He's changed, but not as a result of the actual battle. It's his Power - now that he's Ascended, his magic is calling out to Reid, hypnotising and seducing, and the Ipswitch bad-boy dosn't know if he can fight against the call...No matter how much he wants to.  
For every generation, there are Four players: The Alpha, the strong one; Warrior, he who has the Alpha's ear; Knower, keeper of the Family's knowledge; and the Peace-Keeper, mate of the Alpha.  
Should the mate refuse his Alpha, Ipswich will be destroyed.  
And things get really compliacted when Chase gets thrown into the mix.

Warning: There will be angst in later chapters and this one, in the forms of mental breakdown, rebellion, unwillingness (possible noncon), uncontrollable rages, etc. Much slashiness also - no flamers, if you please.

Note: This is not a dark-Caleb fic! Ok? So, please keep reading past this chapter even IF you think Caleb seems evil. Pleasepleaseplease?

Note2: I know people are going to get confused so here's the thing. I just wrote a new prologue for this story - see below - using what was origonally going to be a chapter in the distant future, and which I'll still use as a chapter later. So this is the new prologue, the old prologue is chapter one, the old chapter one is chapter two, and so on.

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_Prologue_

Reid's POV

_I can't stand this any more. I _can't_. My blood is burning, my Power singing a war-song, and if I don't Use, don't release some pent up frustration I'm going to scream, going to kill someone. _

_The moment classes finished I sidled up to Tyler and Pogue, the two of them talking softly, both falling silent as I approached. If I was a girl, I would have cried – being the mate of an Alpha has its perks, but the added status is killing me. I don't want every member of the Covenant, this generation or the last, to stop talking when I come near, to bow and listen to everything I say and just agree. I can't even pick a fight with Aaron, the bloody bastard, not since Caleb almost blew our cover like that. He won't come near me anymore._

_But I don't show it; I keep up appearances, walk up to them with my arms crossed, cocky and exited, arrogant and ready for trouble. No one outside the Sons would know I've changed in the last few months, but I can't fool these guys, my almost-brothers._

"_I – am – _booooooored_," I announce as I stand beside them, dropping my satchel to rest at my feet. "Who's up for a night at Nicky's?" _

_There's a pang in my chest as my two best friends exchange glances, hesitating. _

"_Oh, come on, guys!" I plead, putting my hands together as if in prayer. I practically need the intervention of a god to get these guys to act against their Alpha. "_Pleeeeeeease_? We haven't been out for _aaaaaages_." I pout, knowing that's how I can usually wrap Caleb around my little finger, but it's not working on these two._

_But I guess these guys don't need me to stay sane, to keep themselves from killing thousands._

_I drop that thought quickly. _I just want to go out_, I beg inside my head. _Please. I'm dying in Caleb's protection. **Please.**

_Tyler looks over my shoulder, and I know without looking that Caleb is up on the top tier of seats in the lecture theatre. It's where he always sits, where he can watch us – and I'm going to get a punishment for not joining him there today, like I'm always supposed to; and more than that, for sitting with a girl. A _hot_ girl. _

_But I'm dying with him. I have to push at my restraints, or I'm going to kill myself. I don't care if he's going to punish me; I can't take it anymore. I need to feel free again._

"_I'm going with or without you, guys," I tell them, reaching down to pick up my bag as I turn away, swinging it onto my shoulder, fighting back tears. "Come or don't, I don't care anymore." _

_I stop when I feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn slightly – Tyler. _

_He's smiling at me, understanding shining in his eyes, and it takes everything in me not to just break, break down sobbing in front of all these mortals, throw my arms around them both and just cry. _

_I don't. But I let down my shields, bare everything I'm feeling in my eyes. One moment of weakness, the first I've ever, ever had. _

_I show him my fear. My frustration. I show him how close I've come to drowning in tears, how close I've come to breaking. The restlessness, the need to scream, the anger, the helplessness. The hurt, the pent-up fury. The strength with no where to go. The madness Caleb is pushing me to, closer and closer every day. _

_What happens when it's the mate, not the Alpha, that goes insane?_

_In answer, I see Tyler's shock, and I smile weakly, knowing it doesn't even nearly reach my eyes. I don't say a word, just keep walking away, feeling Caleb's eyes on my back. Shuddering as I walk through the doorway. _

_Later_

"_What the hell was that?!" Caleb shouted, pushing me through the door, out into the back of Nicky's, and I remember when we did this before. So long ago, before Chase, before Caleb's Ascension. When I still has a life. "What were you doing?!" _

"_Playing," I spat, refusing to show him how terrified I am of him, how much I want to run or scream or back into a wall when his eyes go dark like that, when his face is marred with pure fury. Tyler and Pogue come running out after us. _

"_Caleb!" The Warrior shouts from the doorway, and our Alpha swings to him, snarling, eyes blazing with black fire. I'm in awe that Pogue doesn't even flinch. "Don't do anything stupid, okay? Don't hurt him. He's just Reid, Caleb, he's an idiot." _

_Much as I dislike my mental capacities coming into question, I can't deny that I'm terrified right now. I've never seen him so mad, never been so afraid of him before. The others don't see it, never see it – they don't realise that I'm becoming quieter and quieter, because they hear what they always heard. They don't realise I'm less confident, that I act out less, because I act as I always did. They don't notice that I haven't Used for months, because the same amount of Power is being used._

_It's just not me using it._

"_Yeah, Caleb," Tyler agrees with his friend, not looking at me, his gaze fixed on his Alpha. "Reid's an idiot. He doesn't get it, that's all."_

"_Then he has to fucking _learn_!" Caleb snarled suddenly, and I step back, terrified again, and Tyler pales as he realises that he shouldn't have phrased that the way he did. But then Caleb's eyes lighten, the darkness gone, and he closes his eyes and breathes, struggling to calm down. _

_Instantly, Pogue goes forward, touching his shoulder, hanging back as we've all been taught to do. _Never stand beside an Alpha_, Tyler told us, from the Book. _To stand beside him is to say you are his equal. Even the Peace-Keeper must stand behind him.

"_Caleb, please," he whispers, keeping his voice low and his movements to a minimum. "Don't hurt him." _

_And this is when I get mad._

_Why the _fuck_ should Pogue and Tyler have to risk their _lives_ for me? Not because Chase is back, because he's going to kill me for my Power – because I was playing, betting and laughing with the two of them. Because Caleb is the jealous type. _

_Why should I have to deal with this? I'm one of the Five Sons, gifted with the Power. I'm strong and skilled, I'm fast and smart. I don't need this, I don't _want_ it. Right now, I don't give a fucking damn if Caleb goes insane – if it's him or me, I'm going to come out top every time._

_I walk forward, hands curled into fists at my side, ignoring the siren song that wants me to throw myself at my Alpha's feet, to beg his forgiveness with a kiss, and another, and another, until both of us are hot and panting. I've become good at resisting._

No more, never.

_Pogue shoots me a terrified look, begging me not to do this – he and Tyler both know exactly what I'm going to do, and from the stiffened look on Caleb's face, so does he. _

_Deliberately, challenge written into every line of me, I make to walk past Caleb, back into Nicky's. And on its own, it wouldn't be a big deal – except that it represents my own control over my life. That Caleb has no control over me. _That I do not belong to him.

_For a moment, no one moves, and I'm ecstatic – it doesn't seem as though Caleb's going to stop me. In my mind, I thank every god and goddess I can think of as I brush past – _

_Caleb's hand darts up to press against my shoulder, crossing my chest to block me from moving forward, and my heart sinks. _

_But I don't show it. _

"_Let me pass, Caleb," I sneer, hoping no one can hear my heart beat, fast and terrified, and both cheer and whimper silently as his face grows angry again – I'm not meant to use his name when we're not surrounded by mortals. Alpha. _

_But that implies I'm his. And I'm not. _

No more. Never.

_His hand fists in my shirt, and I grab it, my own anger beginning to overcome my fear, just a little – but enough to let me fight, to let my fire burn, and my eyes click smoothly into ebony darkness. Outright challenge – or so it seems. _

_None of them realise it's an instinctive defence against my Alpha, knowing what's coming and helpless to defend myself any other way. _

_It's such a sense of déjà vu I'm almost amused, but I can't make myself care right now, because I can see him struggling to stay calm, not to summon his own Power. _

"_Reid, _let go of me. Now_. We can forget tonight ever happened if you let go _**right now**_." He stated, his voice calm but his face anything but. He was fighting, fighting his instincts to punish me now, even in front of the others, teach me a lesson I would not forget, now or ever. _

Never. No more.

"Fuck you_, Caleb," I snarl, and my voice only shakes a little bit. "_Fuck – **you**_!" _

_His eyes open in an instant, and I forget my anger, completely and utterly, because his face is furious and his eyes shine a black I've never seen, deeper than the midnight sky without the stars, burning with red-hot fire at the edge of his sockets, and I know without a doubt that I'm going to die. _

_And if I don't, then it's only just – face marred in a snarl, he throws his hands up, and there's a split second where I can see a shimmering shock-wave coming at me before I'm flying, flying through the air and crashing into a wall, crying out as something in my back snaps and pain flares through me, so that I'm gasping when I fall to the ground, clutching my chest and fighting back tears, refusing to cry, to show weakness in front of Caleb. Never. No more! _

_Sucking in great, heaving breaths, I struggle to my feet, keeping a hand on my chest, applying pressure to keep the pain to a minimum, using the wall at my back as a support. I almost fall, and I see Tyler take a step forward to help me, before thinking better of it._

_Then I almost cry. This is what Caleb has done – taken my friends from me, my brothers. Made them so terrified of him that they can't help me when I'm broken. I lean my head against the wall, my face tilted up, eyes closed, struggling against the waves of agony. _

_No more. _

"_Well?" Caleb snarls, eyes still dark and blazing. "Are you going to submit, Reid? Is this enough for you?" He sneers, fury wiping everything else from him, finally snapping the last threads of the bond I thought was growing between us. _

_Never. No more. _

"_Going to do as you're told now?" He taunts me as I gasp, bending over as the pain flares up, growing more angry still when I don't answer. "Well?"_

No more. NEVER.

"_No more, Caleb," I whisper, snarling at him, keeping my Power in my eyes. "I won't be your fuck-toy _any - more_!" _

_Before I know what's happened I'm flying again, and this time I scream as I crash into the mountain of glass, empty bottles waiting to be recycled that instead rip and tear through me, piercing me a hundred times over, and my eyes flare open wide as I cry out, unable to take in the fact that Caleb's moving forward, and now he really is going to kill me, no matter that Pogue's running forward to stop him, crashing into his chest to push him back, away from me. _

"_Caleb! Don't!" He shouts, struggling to stop him moving forward as Tyler runs for me, Using to get the glass out of the way, cursing as he remembers that he can't touch me, and I whimper as his spell inadvertedly presses me against more glass daggers, all I can hear is Caleb's shouting. _

"_You're _mine_, Reid!" He snarls, fighting against Pogue, too angry to think of Using, which is the only thing keeping the Warrior alive. "I'm your fucking Alpha and you're fucking _mine_ - and it is _never going to change_!" _

_I cry out again as I'm pulled forward, Caleb's Power wrapping around my waist to drag me to his feet, the glass tearing at me as the journey along the ground pushes it in deeper, makes it drag against my skin, and the Alpha finally pushes Pogue aside, so hard he falls to the ground – and even as he springs to his feet Caleb turns on him, snarling, flinging a palm up that sends the Warrior into the wall, his head smashing against the brick, knocked out and silent. _

"_Caleb! NO!" Tyler shouts, running for him, stopping when his Alpha snarls again, stepping over me so that a foot lies on each side of my chest. Claiming me. _

_At the thought of what that means, I whimper again, too terrified of what he might do to Use against him. _

_He flicks his hand, and Ty joins his friend in a state of unconsciousness, thrown against the same wall I had an experience with, though I don't hear anything break. _

_For that, I'm glad. Small mercies. _

_I close my eyes in desperation as Caleb bends down, crouching on his heels with bent knees, fisting a hand in my shirt, dragging me half-up, so my upper body is off the ground, bringing his face close to mine. "Open your eyes, Reid," he orders, and I obey instantly. Too scared not to._

_And I flinch. It's worse than Chase, worse than all my nightmares put together. He's so angry, and yet he's enjoying this, hateful fury blending with anticipation, and I shudder, my eyes wide open, no longer able to close, and I can taste the wrongness of this in my mouth, even as Caleb leans down to kiss me, his other hand fisting in my hair, tugging on it, his fingers brushing against tiny shards of glass, making me gasp. That's all he needs, and then he's biting me, filling my mouth with my own blood, tasting and drinking it in. _

_Mates are meant to love each other. Tyler told me that, in the library, and I checked the Book. It's true. The bond that was there, after Caleb's Ascension, was an evolutionary tactic to bring us together. _

_And now it's broken._

_Caleb is the first abusive mate the Book records. The reality of that statement makes me shudder again, and the Alpha pulls away from my mouth, standing and dragging me with him, holding me up by the throat, my feet inches from the ground. _

_His hand is burning me, branding my skin and my blood, and the thought of it is making me sick. _

_He leans in to my throat, nuzzling the join of my neck and shoulder, making me shudder yet again, and I feel his grin against my skin, feel him bite down with his teeth, making me cry out as a trail of hot blood runs down my neck to my collar bone, aching against my cold skin. I want to gag as Caleb laps it up, his hand in my hair pulling my head back, forcing me to expose my throat to him, his Power binding my hands together behind my back, useless to struggle. _

_He moves to my ear, and I hate the hot breath against me as he whispers. "You're mine, Reid, and I'm going to fucking prove it, once and for all, so there's nothing left to doubt." _

_My eyes fly open, because I know exactly what he's going to do, and I start to fight him, writhe in his grip, twisting in the air under his hands, desperate, as his Power forces me up against the nearest wall, my Alpha pressed up flush against me, his mouth and teeth at my throat, tasting my blood even as I finally, finally break. _

_Even as I start to cry. _


	2. Siren Song

**_Okay, for anyone confused, this was the origonal prologue, but as you can see it has become chapter one. I apologise for the shortness of it, but it was appropriate as a prologue and I didn't want to try and change anything. Enjoy!_**

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Chapter One - Siren Song

Caleb's POV

The rain doesn't stop, pouring down as though the sky itself is crying for a Son's death, death in rain and fire and burning wood, and I can't help but regret it. Even as I carry Sarah out of the collapsing barn in my arms, limp and weak as a rag doll, I don't want Chase to be dead.

Not true – I do, but I don't. I do, because he almost killed _me_, Sarah and Kate and Pogue, because he was so wrapped up in the Power there was nothing left of whoever it was he used to be.

And I don't because he was one of the Five of us. Five Sons of Ipswich. The last of the lines.

The last lineage really is gone forever this time. And it was me that did it – me and the black, silken darkness in my blood and my bones, in my eyes, that siren song that even now is calling out to be sung, like the blade of a sword that sings through air and blood and bone.

And life. As the Power did just a few moments ago. My power.

I lay her – Sarah – gently back into the car, across the back seat, pulling off my coat to drape it over her. She's already wet, I guess, but it's better than nothing. I get into the drivers seat, have my hands on the steering wheel and the key's still in the ignition, but all I can do is stare at the barn, where it stands, hissing, in flames.

I can't get over it. I didn't think as we fought – didn't act, but _re_acted – but now…I don't know what I want, what it is that's making me feel guilty even as I argue with myself. _He was going to kill me, going to kill the others, too, eventually,_ I tell myself, and even though I know it's true it doesn't help. I still feel like I've done something truly wrong.

Ripping my eyes away, I turn the key and pull away, desperately trying to ignore the feeling of eyes on my back as I leave the battlefield of two Sons.

Reid's POV

I don't know what to say when Caleb returns, minutes after Pogue turns up, the spells keeping him and his bike in pieces dissolved. Me, the smart-alec, the one who's never lost for words – I hadn't a clue what to say.

I was just so god-damned happy that he'd come back alive instead of a corpse. That he was walking, standing, strong enough to carry Sarah in his arms like some bloody married couple –

And oh, did that thought irk me. I was tempted to run up and rip the blonde away from him, rip at her pale skin until the white pallor was marred with contrasting dark blood, running over her face and her throat and my nails, my hands, my mouth, giving Caleb the taste as I –

_What?_ I shook my head, jerking back into myself as I realised I'd taken a step forward, ready to kill the weakling human girl and claim Caleb for myself. Contrasting thoughts were running through my head, mixing and colliding and blending in hot swirls, and I didn't know what was happening, didn't know why my skin felt like every breath of wind was dark silk, didn't know why it was as though I could hear every sound within miles, from the blood-beat rhythm of the leaving party at the school, to the music of my friend's breathing, or why my eyes had clicked into onyx darkness and I couldn't get out of it.

Didn't want to get out of it. This was…This was like nothing I'd ever felt before – the song of the Power was louder, stronger, and oh – so, so much sweeter. A black sea, ocean of tears and dreams and wishes-come-true, black sea beneath a velvet sky, me and another standing, side-by-side, on a shore of obsidian sand –

I raise my hands to the side of my head, holding it as though it's going to break apart, and it feels that way – surely my mortal body can't take this much Power, black lightning, black fire, burning scorching destroying creating and I just can't not answer that call –

I took another step forward, not hearing Pogue's worried questions, or seeing Caleb's concerned glance, even as he still holds Sarah, and I bare my teeth in an animalistic snarl, unaware that I'm doing it, uncaring, focused on something that's calling me like a magnet, calling and pulling and tugging and refusing to let me be still, like electricity in my blood.

"What's he doing?" It's like he's underwater, and far away, but I can hear Pogue, just, but if I can hear him, I'm not listening.

"I've no idea," Caleb answers, and my head swings to him, instinctively, because it's _him_, he's the bloody magnet and the singer and the battery that's making my hair stand on end, it's _him_.

"Guys, I – I think we should get back," Tyler whispers, and I can feel his worried stare on the back of my neck, resolutely ignored. My body's shaking with restrained…_Something_, because no matter what my instincts are telling me to do jumping on Caleb would not be a good idea – at least, that's what I'm trying to convince myself, and why do I want to jump on him anyway?

"What? Tyler, if you know something, tell us already!" Pogue orders, his voice stained with anger, and my eyes are still locked onto Caleb's, and his aren't leaving mine either, no matter how much he seems to be struggling to break it.

"Pogue, we need to knock Reid out, okay? Please," Tyler whispered again, and this time I found interest. What?! They were not knocking me out! No way! "I'll tell you everything when we get back, but we need to go!"

I didn't hear the next whispers, because Caleb suddenly broke his statue-impression to brush rain water from his mouth, making me freeze –

And before I could think my reaction over, I was unconscious.


	3. Claimed

**_Thanks to everyone who reveiwed, and I'm sorry if this is still confusing people. This was origonally chapter one, but with the new prologue...Yeah. Sorry again!_**

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_Chapter Two – Claimed_

Caleb's POV

We dropped Sarah off at the dorms, the others giving me a minute of privacy to lay her down on her bed. Hesitant, I stood beside her, looking down at her fragile form, somehow unable to comprehend just how close she had come to no longer existing. It was impossible to grasp.

Partly, no doubt, because I was thinking about Reid's weird behaviour when he saw me.

When I walked up to them, I was so much _stronger_. Not that my Power increased when I saw them – but I _understood_, felt, for the first time, just how much more powerful I was now. I could feel it, feel my presence compared to theirs, could hear the song in the air all around me, teasing and tempting with every movement until I thought I'd go insane, unable to keep myself in the real world. Slowly but surely losing myself among the liquid notes, the breathy lyrics I couldn't make out and the melody that wrapped around my chest and didn't let go.

But it wasn't that. Or, maybe, it was, because I honestly didn't know what was going on. All I wanted was to go to bed, to sleep and sleep and just never wake up. That sounded so good right now.

What was freaking me out was that I wanted someone else in there with me – and it wasn't Sarah.

It was like…What? Like what was in me was screaming for something, for some_one_, someone _it_ recognised and _I_ didn't. I didn't even know who it was, but gods, I _wanted _them, whoever it was, so much that I was shaking, so badly I had to walk away from Sarah, feeling awful that whoever I was searching for, _needing_, it wasn't her.

When I walked back into the hall, Pogue was carrying Reid, and in an instant my eyes darkened, my Power flaring to life like a wildfire, hot and strong and raging, furious, wiping my mind of any and all logical thought –

And I threw out Power, Used, and Pogue went flying, crashing into the wall, cracks running up from the impact, the wall curving around his form to create an indent, his yell of pain rushing past us, over us, around us, but I wasn't seeing it. I'd caught Reid before he fell, so that he lay cushioned in the air, elegant and…_gentler_, calmer, than he was when he was awake, no hint of the golden wildness that burned in him, hot and bright.

"Caleb!" Tyler shouted, and if I'd been sane I'd have told him off for risking someone hearing us, but I _wasn't_ sane, wasn't rational, my onyx-lidded eyes focused only on Reid's sleeping form, something in me reaching out, screaming, roaring, singing, and I was frozen to the floor, unable to think, to move, to _breathe_ –

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Tyler run to Pogue, who had slid to the floor, groaning, blood staining his hair, bruises already darkening his skin, but I didn't care, didn't _see _it – only Reid. I couldn't, didn't, understand what was happening to me, what I was doing, getting lost in the dark place, the black sea roiling and dark lightning knifing through the ebony sky, someone else standing beside me on the black sand, someone that calmed me, that soothed the screaming, roaring Power that was threatening to break out.

I sank to my knees, no longer able to stand, my body shaking with strength, the song spiralling through me, softly capturing every part of me, winding about me softly, strongly, and I was getting lost in it.

"Tyler!" I whispered, only half-aware, half-_alive_, a brief flash of logic desperate. "Tyler, please, I – Pogue – help –"

The youngest Son looked to me, his arms around Pogue's shoulders and his eyes dark. Scared.

"Caleb, listen to me, okay?"

I tried to nod, but I was clutching my head, my eyes closing, as if that would stop the ebony Power in them.

He kept on talking, his voice slow, calm, as if he was trying to tame a wild animal, to convince an injured wolf that he wasn't going to hurt it, using my name as often as he could. To remind me – that I was _me_, not just part of the song.

"Caleb, you have to calm down. Okay? Pogue wasn't claiming Reid. He was just carrying him because he can't walk. Remember? Caleb, remember that? We knocked Reid out, when you came back from Chase. Remember, Caleb?"

I snarled at the thought of he and Pogue hurting Reid, and instantly the weakest of the four of us re-phrased.

"Because he was hurting, Caleb. Remember? He was hurting really badly, and we wanted him to stop hurting. Remember?" He spoke as if I were a child – a very, very dangerous child that could kill him with a thought. But it worked. I nodded again, my knuckles paling as they held my skull, my breath coming short and fast.

"Okay. So we're going to take you home now, Caleb, okay? You and Pogue can go on his bike, and -"

I shook my head quickly, growling in my throat, struggling to phrase my thoughts, force my emotions into English that he could understand. "No – Reid – my car – all of us." I panted, my breath tearing at my throat, trying not to shake, my eyes rolling up into my head, and I whimpered.

He must have heard me, because he started moving quickly, helping Pogue to stand, warning him in a low voice not to say a word, not to touch Reid, that he'd explain everything later, and my friend nodded, glancing at me, worried and concerned, but saying nothing.

Tyler walked over to me, slowly, without any sudden movements, crouching down a little to my side. "Caleb? Can you bring Reid with us? We won't touch him, I swear, but we can't leave him here."

I nodded, leaning forward to use the palms of my hands to stand, swaying, but growling when Pogue stepped closer to help me. The Second Son turned to Tyler, questioning, and the youngest shook his head. Pogue stepped back, carefully, deliberately, and I relaxed. _No one _could touch me like this. One, because I was afraid my Power would kill anyone who touched me, like an electric charge in my skin.

And two, because I would rip out the throat of anyone who tried. The only one I wanted was Reid, and if he was unconscious, then it was _no one_.

We made our way out to my car, the other two walking a little way ahead of me, Reid floating at my side. I saw Pogue glance regretfully at his motorbike that was parked a few feet away from my car, but he made no move towards it, instead hesitating at the door to the car, looking to me.

I ignored him, instead leaping over the back, adding Power to my jump to land in the backseat, carefully, gently, tenderly laying Reid out beside me, his upper body in my lap. Tyler and Pogue exchanged glances as I cradled him, but I growled warningly, and without hesitation the two of them slid in, Tyler taking the steering wheel. Amused, I noticed how tense Pogue was having me at his back – I really wasn't thinking normally.

The drive was silent, no one speaking until we pulled up outside my family's manor.

I'd spent the entire ride tracing Reid's face with my fingertips, memorising every detail, losing myself in it – the curve of his throat, the softness of his hair, the strong, elven angle of his cheekbone, the tempting shape of his mouth, over and over again, my eyes wide with awe and wonder, amazed at it – the golden wild-fire housed in such a surreal beauty, wild and harsh.

"Caleb?"

My head jerked up, my arms tightening on Reid, who murmured something in his sleep.

Tyler and Pogue froze, both of them out of the car now, waiting for me, but my eyes had locked onto Reid's face, my eyes still black, Powerful, anticipating his delicious awakening in my arms.

But he just tossed his head a little, and I bit back a groan as he exposed his milky throat, as if begging me to kiss it, bite and mar and mark it as my own…I struggled not to – not yet. Not in front of the others.

_Wait_.

I swung my head as Tyler stepped forward, snarling, fire burning in my eyes, and he stepped back hurriedly, fighting not to summon his own Power, not wanting to threaten me. Not wanting me to attack him, kill him.

For an instant, the darkness in my eyes faded, and I stared at him, appalled at myself, horrified, confused like a hurt child, and I saw a flicker of understanding burn in his gaze before I was lost again, the ebony shuttering my eyes like shields and the song burning through my blood.

Gathering Reid into my arms, releasing the spell to keep him hovering, I stood on the seat and leapt out of the car, to stand gracefully before Tyler and Pogue, the third point of the triangle, growling again when Pogue's eyes flickered to Reid in my arms. Tyler touched his shoulder, shaking his head silently, telling him with his eyes to go on ahead.

After one last glance at me, and then Tyler, full of meaning easily read – _can you handle him?_ – and the reply, _No, but we haven't got a choice here_, Pogue nodded reluctantly and jogged up to the manor, a dark shadow in the light from the windows.

Tyler didn't move towards me, but he started speaking again. "Caleb? Can we go inside? You mum's waiting for you, remember? She doesn't know you survived Chase yet, Caleb. She'll want to know. You don't want to worry her, right?"

Something in me was soothed slightly that he asked permission, and I nodded, stepping forward, cradling Reid carefully as I walked, Tyler standing a little to my left and behind me, carefully subservient. He hung back as I swung the unlocked door open, that Pogue had left almost-closed. In the back of my mind, I wondered why my mother wasn't in the entrance hall waiting for me, but I bypassed the thought when Reid started murmuring again, tossing agitatedly, as if restless.

As if he was waking.

Tyler stopped walking as I froze, my world narrowing to Reid's face, focussing only on him, holding my breath as I waited for his eyes to flicker open, to see me, recognise me just before I placed a kiss on his lips, claim him as mine with lips and tongue and teeth, take his breath for my own and give him mine, the two of us breathing for each other, and I had to close my eyes at the wave of pure lust that threatened to drown me at the thought, my eyes darkening even further. "_Mine_," I whispered, leaning down to nuzzle his hair, loving it when he inhaled sharply, an expression of ecstasy crossing his face, almost losing what precious control I had when he whimpered, his fingers curling in my shirt, tugging desperately.

Still asleep. But I find that I don't care – this is what I want, what my Power is screaming out for, and there's a fierceness in me that wasn't there only hours ago, that Chase, maybe, brought out in me; but I don't care about that either.

Only about the hitch in Reid's breathing as I trail my mouth down to his temple, circling it with my nose, letting a soft breath warm it. Only the taste of his sweat-soaked skin, the delicious salt tinted with Power. The feel of his jaw under my mouth, the moan he gives me like a gift when I trace my teeth along his jaw line; and I feel wild, animalistic, Powerful, wanting and needing and owning, possessive and dominant and it's never felt this good…

"_Caleb!_"

I raise my head, eyes blazing, furious. Who _dares_ tear me away from what I want? I'm ready to kill, so far gone I don't recognise the woman standing in the doorway to the reception room, slightly aged and beautifully dressed in rich fabrics, her hand on the mahogany door frame, her expression outraged.

"Caleb! Stop this at once! The poor boy's unconscious, for gods sake!" She ordered, stepping forward. "Now, come here, darling. I'm so glad you survived -"

I snarled as she stepped forward, bracing myself to back away if she came any closer, readying myself to Use. I didn't know – or care – who she was, but she wasn't coming _near_ Reid when he was defenceless like this.

She frowned, obviously confused, and then her eyes lit in understanding, turning to Tyler so quickly she blurred. "Tyler! Has he…?"

The Youngest nodded, shushing Pogue as he opened his mouth to question, angry confusion written all over him. "He has, Mother," addressing her with the female title of second-respect among the Five Families, inclining his head.

She smiled weakly, a hint of sadness in the expression. "It's Matriarch now, Tyler. Caleb's father willed him his Power to help him survive. I rule the First Family now."

Tyler's eyes widened, Pogue's face mirroring him, and he bowed his head again, lower this time. "I'm sorry, I didn't know -"

The woman waved him off, banishing whatever sorrow there was in her. "Don't apologise, it's perfectly all right. We have bigger problems," glancing at me, and then Reid in my arms, eyebrows raising when I snarled again, backing up, unwilling to go up against all three of them at once.

Tyler nodded, his eyes also sliding over to me, but Pogue stepped forward, challenge and defiance in every part of him. "Just _wait_ a second. Could one of you _please_ explain why Caleb threw me into a wall for absolutely no reason earlier?"

"It wasn't for no reason, Pogue – you were holding Reid, remember?" Tyler told him, turning to the Second of the Sons, who nodded, confused. "Caleb's claimed Reid as his own now – it's not a good idea to even _touch _him anymore. Unless you want to get your throat ripped out."

"What?" Pogue raised an eyebrow. "What are talking about? 'Claimed him'? What does that mean?"

"Take care of Caleb and Reid first. Questions – and answers – later," the woman interrupted. The two Sons nodded, and before I had a chance to defend myself I was drowning in inky darkness, falling to the floor.


	4. The Four Players

**All yours, guys! I decided that 10 reviews was too much, considering what I've given you so far, and also that I REALLY wanted to post this asap! No warnings - though the next chapter's going to be **_**seriously**_** slashy! So reveiw reveiw reveiw if you ever want to get to that scene!!! You're not getting the next one until I've had 15 reveiws!**

**(p.s This was origonally chapter three!)**

_Chapter Three - The Four Players_

Reid's POV

"Is he okay?" "Are you sure it was safe to use Power to wake him up?" "Of course I'm sure, the Families have been doing it for centuries!"

Gods, my head hurt, as if I'd been out at Nickey's all night. I reached up to clutch my head, running my fingers through my hair to get it back into place. It felt different…And one side of my face was warm, red and hot. Not the side I'd been lying on, either.

Groaning, I sat up, and took in my surroundings. I was in Caleb's house, on one of the sofas, a fire burning in the grate, letting me see the dozes of oil-paintings on the walls and the soft, rich carpets – not that I was particularly interested in what was almost a carbon-copy of my own reception room at home.

"Reid? You all right, man?" Pogue was sitting on the arm of the sofa, dressed in his usual black leather casuals – unlike me and Tyler, both of us still in the bloody suits from the dance. Only…

I glance down. Mine's all messed up, as if I'd been making out with some girl at the dance. But I didn't – I was too stressed, adrenalin and worry for Caleb refusing to let me relax. Tyler and I spent the whole time trying to find Sarah, both of us knowing Chase had her but not willing to do _nothing_.

I look up at the others, worry and confusion hidden behind cold indifference. "What's going on?"

Caleb's mother sits down beside me, looking at me sympathetically, and that's when I get _really _worried. The Mother of the First Family is hard and strong, though she adores Caleb utterly. I've never seen her give anyone a look of sympathy or pity – she expects everyone to be strong enough to deal with the problems fate gives them. "If you couldn't handle them, you wouldn't have them," is what she tells us.

I'm about to ask again when I realise Caleb isn't here – and something aches in my chest.

That's when I remember seeing Caleb come back – wanting to kill Sarah, hearing, _feeling_ the call, locking onto Caleb, freezing when he brushed his lips: a gesture I wanted to do for him.

_What the hell?! _I yell at myself. I'm not gay! I've been with more girls than the others put together, and I can get them by clicking my fingers. I've never eyed them up in the showers at school, or while we're swimming – it must be something to do with Caleb's Ascending. Has to be. Right? His Power's acting all weird, or something.

"Reid…We have something to tell you," Caleb's mother begins, not looking at me. More warning signs – I can't stop myself from summoning my Power, my eyes shining dark as I instinctively try to protect myself, even if there's some things the Power can't fight.

I nod to show I'm listening, but I avoid everyone's eyes. Can they tell what I'm thinking if I look at them? Could they see what I was thinking about Caleb, their precious golden boy?

Tyler's sitting cross-legged on the floor to my side, facing me, and it's him that speaks next. "Reid, I haven't been entirely honest with you – or the others," he admits, softly, staring back at me and Pogue as we stare at him, wide-eyed. The baby-boy Tyler, keeping secrets? It can't be true!

It would be funny except for the tenseness that I'm drowning in.

"For every generation, there are five sons." He starts, speaking as though he's telling us a story – just like when we were kids. He always was the best at telling stories, horror tales that scared even _me_ into nightmares. "It's always been that way, and be it chance or fate it doesn't matter. There are always five."

_Hurry up, already! _I want to yell at him, but I stay silent. I know I don't want to hear what he has to say, but, like I said – no matter how strong the Power is, there are some things that can't be fought.

"Each of the five has a place," he continues, still keeping his voice soft and low. "But there are only four since the Fifth Family…Disappeared." He hesitates, and we all think of Chase. "The Alpha, the Warrior, the Knower, and the Peace-Keeper. Each of them is important, and without all of them together chaos drowns Ipswich." He looks up at me. "Why do you think none of the Families ever go to college outside? Or have jobs elsewhere? Why do we all stay in the Family Manors instead of moving?"

He shakes his head, as if to himself. "We can't separate. Ever."

I don't say anything, knowing he'll get to the point eventually, even if what he's just said contradicts itself. We have to stick together - if we don't, 'chaos drowns Ipswich', but it's okay that there's just _one_ missing? All my usual instincts to cause trouble are dulled now: I'm scared. I'm absolutely terrified and I can't let go of the Power because I _know _that what he's going to tell us is going to tear my life apart.

I just _know_.

He – Tyler – takes a deep breath and goes on without looking at me or Pogue, keeping his gaze on the carpet. "The Alpha is the strongest, and he rules the Sons. His Power is unequalled once he Ascends, but at a cost to his sanity. Without…" Here he pauses, and he takes a deep, shuddering breath that makes me tense up even more on the expensive leather couch, "Without his mate, the Alpha will go insane, losing control of his Power in the process and destroying everything within an approximately hundred-mile radius."

I sit stunned at that little tid-bit. _A _hundred_ miles?! That's _huge_! Who was the last generation's Alpha? What if I'm the Alpha out of us five?! That would so rock! _Briefly, excitement burns away my fear, and I'm almost enjoying this new ghost-story.

And he goes on. "The Warrior is the one who will keep the others from killing each other. He's generally quite strong, and the Alpha will almost always listen to him, because he's intelligent, logical. But when he gets mad, you'd better run. He isn't as strong as the Alpha, but he's more vicious – whereas with his mate, the Alpha generally doesn't get angry that often."

Pogue. Definitely. Easy to see. _But he's stronger than me_, I think to myself, calculating. _Which means I can't be the Alpha! Or maybe it only becomes set after we all Ascend…Yeah._

"Then there's the Knower. He keeps the knowledge of the Five Families, the traditions and the history, the culture and the secrets. All of the families grant him complete access to all their records, if he ever needs them. He has the Book of Damnation in his head."

_Again, simple. Tyler himself is the Knower – he's always in the libraries of the Manors, or quoting history from the Book, something to help us with whatever's going on. _

"And…The Peace-Keeper." For an instant, his eyes, and those of Caleb's mother, dart to mine, but then he's talking again and I try to listen, ignoring them. Peace-Keeper?! I've never calmed anyone down in my life – I _enjoy _the fights and the brawls at Nickey's!

"It's a pretty dumb name, actually," I hear him say, and feel myself tense. It's as if he's answering my thought. "It's not that the Peace-Keeper 'keeps the peace', exactly, but he keeps the Alpha sane." _No. No, he's – he's joking. He _has _to be! _"The Peace-Keeper is the mate of the Alpha."

Before I can say a word, Pogue's speaking. "So are you saying that, in _every generation_, two of the Five – Four, really – are gay? How is that possible, that it happens every time? And then how did the families not die out ages ago – how can gay guys have kids?"

Tyler shrugged. "To the first question - I have no idea. It's just always been that way. To the second…it's not that simple. They can have children because they're _not _gay – they're bi. And it's not like both of them are bi for years before just…Coming into it naturally, I guess. When the Alpha Ascends, his Power changes, evolves, and recognises the Peace-Keeper, the one it needs so that it doesn't destroy its host." His eyes locked with mine, and I'm too terrified, shocked, to move. "Claims him."

I found myself shaking my head, and wonder, briefly, when I decided to do that. "You're messing with our heads, Ty. Can you honestly see any of us," I wave my arm to take in him and Pogue, "falling for each other? Please." I snorted, wincing inwardly – I can hear the desperation in my voice. "Pogue has Kate, Caleb has Sarah, I'm with a new girl every week, and you're…You're _you_!" Something occurred to me. "Oh, and Chase is dead. So…?" I raise my eyebrows. "I think this is like an old legend or something, because it's _definitely_ not true."

Tyler pinned me with his gaze, tinged with anger. "Did you not listen to a _word_ I just said? The two of them _aren't born bi_ – you can have as many girls as you want, but the Alpha and 'Keeper can't avoid each other once the Alpha comes into his powers. They physically _can't_. It's just not possible."

I pretended to huff, as if I was completely unconcerned. "_Fine_. No need to get all stressy on me."

Tyler glared, but in an instant something like sympathy crossed his face and his anger seemed to melt away. "Reid?"

"Yeah?" I leaned back on the sofa, closing my eyes as I tilted my head back.

There's a pause, but I ignore it. I know what they're going to say, and inside I'm screaming for them to be quiet, to leave me alone and continue living in my little bubble-world. _I don't want to know_.

_Yes, you do,_ a voice inside me whispers, softly. _You want him too_.

_NO! _I scream at it, mentally shoving my fingers in my ears. _I DON'T! I am NOT GAY! I DON'T like Caleb! I am NORMAL! _

_Normal? You're a seventeen year old that can make cars fly. Yep, perfectly normal._ How can an imaginary voice be sarcastic? I wondered.

"Reid…While you were out…"

"Yeah, _about_ that," I interrupted him, leaning forward again. "What the _hell_ were you guys doing?! Why'd you knock me out like that? I didn't even _do _anything!"

"Reid, shut up." Pogue ordered, calmly, as though commenting on the weather. I glared, but he wasn't looking at me and missed it. Bloody…I muttered darkly under my breath.

Tyler took a deep breath again – guess I was pissing him off. "While you were out, Caleb Used on Pogue."

_That _caught my interest. "What? Why?" I turned to the Son I suspected was the Warrior. "What'd you do?"

He glared at me. "I was holding you."

I frowned, cocking my head at Tyler. "What?"

The Knower sighed, massaging his temples. "You were out, Pogue was carrying you. That simple. We waited in the hall while Caleb left Sarah in her dorm room, and when he came out and saw Pogue – who'd caught up with us from parking the car – and got seriously pissed. With the result that Pogue ended up smashed into the hall wall, while you were held suspended in mid-air."

Oh.

"_Then_, it was as if he had a nervous breakdown," Tyler went on, still addressing the carpet. "He ended up on his knees, snarling when Pogue tried to help him. He refused to let anyone touch him – or you – and…" He hesitated, looking to Pogue to help him finish the story.

"And he spent the ride back bloody _caressing _your face," the Warrior told me, manner-of-factly, ignoring the fact that I froze completely, forgetting to breathe.

"That's not all…" Tyler trailed off, and this time it was Caleb's mother who filled me in.

I hid my head in my hands, struggling not to cry as she described how he'd nuzzled me, biting my jaw – and_ how I'd loved it_.

_I was asleep! _I argued with myself. _ASLEEP! _

I couldn't help the feeling of utter helplessness as I absorbed this new fact. _Peace-Keeper. Alpha. Mate. Can't avoid each other. Not possible. A hundred miles. _

_No more girls, _I thought ruefully, trying to find some humour in this. _No more betting on their underwear with Pogue and Tyler. _

_But you get so much more,_ the voice from earlier whispered. _You get _Caleb

I gasped at the wave of lust that roared through me with that statement, the dark place inside me screaming in wild joy, lightning flooding through my blood. _Caleb. Mine._ Imaginings that could soon be reality formed in my mind, making my eyes shudder closed. _Hot skin. Sweat. Moaning. Panting. Arching. Fingertips, silken hair. Jaw, lips, mouth, throat. Teeth, tongue. _

_Mine._

When I opened my eyes again, they were all staring at me oddly, and I prayed I hadn't said anything out loud.

To cover it, I asked, proud my voice didn't tremble at all, "Okay. So I'm the 'Keeper. What exactly do I have to do?"

Tyler and the First Matriarch exchanged glances, Caleb's mother nodding slightly. The Knower turned to me.

"You might want to have this talk in private, Reid," He told me, and inwardly I cringed. That bad. Oh. "You can ask me, or Caleb's mum." He cocked his head, waiting for my answer.

"Tyler," I said, barely thinking about it. "No offence," I added to the First Mother, "but I think this is a guy thing, you know?"

Smiling, she nodded, gracefully standing to leave the room. "Come on, Pogue. I'll call your parents. It's late, you should be getting home." She left the room, her skirts swishing, vanishing down the hall. Pogue hesitated.

"Go on, I'll be fine," I grinned at him, and he grinned weakly back. It was surprisingly easy to pretend to be my usual cocky self, though it hurt to know that he was so easily fooled.

"Knew you would be," he replied, moving to follow Caleb's mom. "I'll want an explanation tomorrow, Tyler!" He called over his shoulder as he disappeared out the door.

For a moment, it's silence in the room, neither of us willing to start this conversation that is surely going to be as embarrassing as hell – and the start of my 'new life'. I'm not sure whether I'm looking forward to it or not. On the one hand…The idea of having Caleb hot and naked between the sheets is delicious – hell, I'd take it against a _wall_ – but it's tearing me apart.

One half of me wants nothing more. The other half wants everything _but_.

Finally, Tyler speaks.

"Reid…" He sighs, unfolding his body to stand and sit down next to me, but I don't look at him. I'm too messed up and confused right now to talk to _anyone_. I don't know what to think, or how to act about it. What to say.

He looked at me, his eyes sympathetic. "It won't be…bad, Reid." I snorted, rolling my eyes as I leaned back into my seat, closing my eyes to hide my thoughts from him, but he continued on anyway.

"Once an Alpha Ascends, his Power changes. It attracts the Peace-Keeper, like an incredibly powerful magnet, or a moth to a light...Something really strong, anyway. The…attraction-Power combines with the 'Keeper's own Power to form a bond between the two of them. It's an evolutionary design to bring the two together, since it's, like, for the greater good that the Alpha has his mate, and it works better if the 'Keeper accepts the situation." He hesitated for a second, and I opened my eyes lazily, letting him know I was still listening, even if I didn't say a word.

"Reid – it's very, very strong magic," Ty blurted suddenly, looking at his hands. "It won't act like a drain, like when you Use – but you can't break it either, once it's fully formed." He looked up at me, his eyes begging me to understand, to accept this. "Once the bond's set…The two fall completely…" He trailed off.

Faking an amused smirk, I raised an eyebrow. "Fall in love, baby boy? Whatever." I snorted. "Yeah, me and Caleb are, like, soul-mates. I'll believe it when I see it." I was proud that I could hide my feelings so well. No one could ever have guessed how I was truly feeling.

Tyler threw me an awkward glance before shrugging. "It's what the Books says, Reid," he told me, his eyes glazed as though picturing the exact page in his minds eye. "_The bond between mates, once consecrated, is one of love and never broken. The Alpha will protect with his strength, the Peace-Keeper with his presence, shielding his mate from insanity and death._"

I locked onto him at the last part. "Consecrated? Please tell me that doesn't mean what I think it does."

Tyler only looked at me, sadly and with sympathy, an emotion I was quickly getting sick of, only watching as I hid my head in my hands.

"I have to fucking fuck Caleb."

Both of us jumped at the silken voice coming from the doorway. "You say that like it's a bad thing."


	5. Caleb!

_**People. This chapter is basically one big sex scene. I'd use the technical lingo, but I can't remember the difference beteen a lemon and a lime, so... shrugs So YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!**_

**_Also, as I know some people are going to be SERIOUSLY confused - I basically wrote a different prologue, with the result that the old prologue is now chapter one, what was chapter one is now chapter two, and so on. You can see NOTE on the new prologue for more details, or you can message me. _**

_Chapter Four –"Caleb!"_

Caleb's POV

I woke up in my room, laid on the bed by one of the guys, most likely, and the instant I woke my eyes were darkened, my Power tugging at me, screaming, desperate and strong.

Before I realised I was even moving, I was past the stairs and running, following the map of the Manor in my head and following the trail my Power was leading me along. Hot, dark, strong; I grinned in delight. _He's right – __**here**_

I rested my hand against the doorframe, leaning up against it, waiting for them to feel my presence. I had to fight not to go up to him, not to go and make him gasp, moan, make him forget how to breathe, forget every part of the language but my name. _Mine_.

I'm just in time to hear the last part of their conversation, but I'm not truly listening, letting the words wash past me – until Reid makes his comment, resting his head in his hands, and my Power flares up in delighted anticipation, longing, wanting, needing, burning with a strength I've never felt before. It's intoxicating.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," I purred, meeting my mate's eyes, fighting not to go to him _right now_ when I hear the hitch in his breathing. It's as if I'm coded to him – I can hear his breath, his heartbeat, the sound of his blood in his veins, from across the room.

I stand, taking my weight from the door, making sure to swing my hips as I walk up to them, keeping my arms crossed, pretending not to see Reid's eyes flicker up and down my form, widening, darkening – not with Power, but with lust.

I grin, baring teeth, falling elegantly onto the sofa, glaring a warning at Tyler, telling him, in no uncertain terms, to _go_.

He hesitates, and I snarl softly under my breath, letting him see my Power-dark eyes for the first time. His eyes widen almost comically, before he gets control of himself and stands.

"I'll see you tomorrow then, guys, yeah?" He asks, walking to the door. I lean back, resting my head on the back of the sofa, but my eyes narrow when I see Reid's eyes following him desperately.

"Oh, and good luck, Reid," Tyler adds softly, pausing with one hand on the door frame, smiling encouragingly, and I mentally take back my anger at the youngest Son. If he wishes my mate well, then he's a friend.

We sit in silence once he's gone. I keep my eyes closed, sprawled gracefully across the sofa, but I'm hyper-aware of the Son beside me. He's tense, curled up in the corner, his legs crossed and his hands resting on his knees, awkward, unsure, and if I wasn't screaming with lust inside my head I'd find the whole thing amusing – the cocky, confident Reid, shy as a blushing girl.

But he's shy for _me. _

_Mine._

The thought makes me snap; unable to fight against it any longer, the smell of him driving me crazy, my eyes shoot open. He has a split second for his eyes to widen in shock before I'm on him, moving so fast I surely blur, his mouth warm and soft against mine, one hand cupping his head and the other roving down his throat, the pad of my thumb stroking against his collar bone, making him whimper, his hands coming up around my neck, driving me wild; the shy, light touches, his fingertips dancing over the back of my neck, tracing whorls at the top of my spine, his hand running tentatively up into my hair, at the base of my skull, forcing me to close my eyes for a moment as I drown in sensation.

Time to return the favour.

My eyes flicker open again, but his are closed, and I smirk against his mouth. He looks so beautiful like this, gold and silver, submitting to me, letting me do as I will with him.

I let my hand dance across his neck, stroking, teasing, and he hums in the back of his throat, the sound turning me on like nothing yet. It's hard not to just rip his clothes to shreds, but I want him to want this too, to enjoy this too; which is why I take my mouth from his, eliciting a whimper of disappointment that turns into a groan as I trace his throat with my teeth, my hands running down his arms to pin his wrists, my body shifting to lie atop him, raised up slightly on my knees, the warmth against my hardness making me gasp onto his neck, the sudden warmth making his eyes roll as he bucks into me, desperately, whimpering.

I move lower, my tongue darting into the hollow of his throat for an instant before I descend to the collar of his shirt, nuzzling the skin above it with my nose before taking the pearly button in between my teeth. I use my tongue and Power to get it open, nipping the now-bared skin, making him buck again, his breath harsh and fast, panting, struggling against my hold on his wrists, but there's no way in hell I'm letting go of him now.

The next button, and the next…Each time, nipping and tasting the newly bared skin, tracing his muscles with my tongue, working my way down to the waist of his trousers, my tongue darting under the waistband, making him moan again, thrusting upwards, and now it's really, really hard to behave because I've had to move down to get here, half my body off the sofa, and his cock is hard against my throat through his trousers, my mouth just above, teasing at his belt with my teeth, nipping the skin here, rubbing my face against him so that he moans as his sex gets a little extra attention, writhing under me as my chin rubs against him, teasing.

"Caleb! Ahh…Oh _gods!_" He pants out, and I have to admit I'm impressed that he can speak at this point, because I certainly can't and I don't bother trying, and he cries out in disappointment when I move up, starting a trail back up his chest, moving agonisingly slowly, for him and for me, I'm going to drive myself insane before this is over, I'm sure of it. I linger at his abs, tracing and re-tracing them with my tongue, bordering them with a frame of little red love-bites, each line of definition re-drawn in wet red, and by the time I get to his throat he's begging me, panting, writhing, bucking up against me, making my eyes darken even further as I breathe against his mouth, laughing softly as he moans, arching his back to get closer, trying to kiss me, and it's probably evil to tease him so much but suddenly there's an urge I can't ignore, stronger than anything else, and for a second my mate freezes at the look in my eyes, relaxing as I lean down to his throat, the elegant curve where his neck meets his shoulder, kissing it lightly, chaste and soft, making him hum again, purring, and I bite my tongue not to take him now.

Instead, I bite him, struggling not to rip his trousers off as he cries out, arching against my hands, grinding his hips on mine, making my eyes flicker closed for a moment as I mark him, feeling something in the dark place _click_ into position, a sense of perfect rightness that fills me with ecstasy.

Nipping, biting, kissing, I lick a path up to his ear, laughing softly, blowing hot breath into the conch-shell curve of it, darting out my tongue to taste him, hearing him whimper, his eyes closing again, panting, and all I can hear is _"Please, Caleb, please! Ahh, gods, Caleb!" _

Mustn't disappoint. I move my mouth to his again, tracing his lips with my tongue, again, and again, so soft it hurts, begging entrance that he grants me with a quiet _"oh,"_ and once I have the taste of him on my tongue, hot and wet and achingly sweet, smoky and fiery and wild, my eyes blaze, my fingers gripping his wrists tighter still, and I completely lose control, thrusting against him, grinding, pushing, panting, and he's begging and pleading and moaning, gasping and calling my name as I bite down on his lip, as I let go of his hands to cup his head and stroke between his legs, and in an instant his arms are around my neck as he arches his back like a bow, dislodging my mouth from his as he cries out, loud and long, and then my eyes are filled with stars before I lie, boneless, beside him, panting, staring at this sweat-soaked beauty that can't seem to remember how to breathe, and there's only one thought running through my mind.

_Mine._


	6. It Makes No Sense!

_**Hey guys! Sorry it took so long, but...Yeah. This one was tricky, so I want reviews to tell me if I pulled it off okay. Yes? Good? Thankyou.**_

**_Thankyou to EVERYONE who reviewed! You are all so lovely! )cries( Seriously, you are the best reviewers ever! So, keep it up and I'll write chapter six really quickly! Or at least, I'll _try_ to..._**

* * *

_Chapter Five – It Makes No Sense!_

Reid's POV

_Fucking…Fuck. _

There was no way that had actually happened. I'd fallen asleep on the couch and had a _serious _wet dream. I had to have had.

I was panting, out of breath big time, and _tired_, like my bones were liquidated when I wasn't looking. I couldn't move, and I really, really didn't want to. I was warm, and comfortable, and crashing on Caleb's couch didn't seem such a bad thing…

_Fuck! _I tried to sit up, was unable to, and glanced to the side.

Caleb.

He was lying on his side, leaning on his elbow, watching me, and I looked enviously at his hair, stylishly messed from where my hands had run through it. It was going to take me _ages_ to sort mine out…And there was no way I was ever going to end up looking that good. Unconsciously, I let my eyes roam up and down appreciatively. Hey, I had the right to, didn't I?

Gods, he looked so…

_NO! _I pushed myself back suddenly, not sure where I got the strength from and not really caring, just instantly desperate to _get away_. Caleb…_Oh __**fuck.**_

His eyes weren't black anymore, and I vaguely remembered the look on his face as he came, the stunning expression of pure ecstasy, and then the bright white flash in his eyes, before he rolled off me, and…And now.

_My _eyes are dark, though, sliding into ebony as I start to realise what the hell we'd just done. I started to shake, my head unable to deal with it – tearing itself apart as it tried to rationalise everything.

One half of me – the soft voice that pointed out Caleb was everything I'd ever wanted – was ecstatic, pleased, content, warm, and was getting _seriously_ turned on by the look on Caleb's face, predatory and hungry, his eyes starting to fade into obsidian orbs again.

The rest of me, though…

I wasn't given any more time to think about it – without warning, so fast I flinched, Caleb swung himself out of his stance, standing up in a move so graceful I envied him all over again.

That died when I got a brief glance at his face as he turned from me, standing as if locked into place with Power, his eyes pale and human.

Something in me started crying that he was hurt, that he was so disgusted with me, with himself. He had the right to loathe _me_, but he was perfect…

_**WHAT?! **_

Furious with myself, I hit my forehead with the heel of my palm, the sound making Caleb turn his head to look at me, his face unreadable.

"Reid?" He asked softly, baring his all for a moment – and I choked back a gasp as I saw exactly what he was feeling, my emotions mixing and blurring together like an electric blender. Hurt, loathing, anger, confusion, lust, longing, and…

Something I didn't feel comfortable naming just yet. Even though something in the dark place that mirrored it replied with a flash of Power, sending it to him through something in my chest, a warm thread of golden magic that I could almost see, a mirage-like hologram. It shimmered from me to him, vanishing into the silk of his tux, and his eyes darkened again as the tiny marble of silver flowed along the thread, melting into him.

_Caleb? _I thought at him, my mind-voice abominably weak and submissive, making the _me_ chaff at the restraints, snarling, but that the new-found _I_ used without thinking. _You okay? _

I got no reply for a moment, my Alpha just standing there, legs braced, hands smooth fists at his sides, eyes twin dark-stars; but the look he was giving me was making me tremble, fighting not to go to him and rip every piece of clothing off of him and into _shreds_…

_Come here._

I looked up, shocked; and then instantly dissolved into…_What?_ I didn't know, didn't want to know, didn't _care_; just willing and wanting and _needing_, desperate to wipe his pain away, soothe him. _Kiss it better_…Literally, with any luck.

Power flowed into my eyes as I stood, unaware of anything except the thread between us, another silken cord, this one burning red, weaving entwined with the gold we already had, the warmth as it clicked into place, anchoring in my skin, flowing through me, caressing.

Taken over, not able to think, to breathe, I closed my eyes with the tide of Power, the song low and soft, gentle, humming, shifting naturally from a wild blood-lust beat to a calming lullaby, winding throughout my mind and chest, spiralling outwards into the room, weaving itself into the bond, the gold-and-ruby lights thrumming gently. It was all I could do to keep standing – the _rightness_ of it over-riding the lust I'd been filled with just seconds ago.

I started as strong arms closed around my waist, my eyes flickering open in time for Caleb pulling me close, pressing a light, sweet kiss to my mouth.

How was I meant to react? I hesitated, not sure what to do. Before, I didn't have to think, the Power ruling me instead, knowing with un-experienced confidence how to act. I'd never had a problem with girls, but with _them_ it was usually me doing the kissing – not the other way round.

_Reid? _

I froze, my half-raised hands locking into place as Caleb's mind-voice flowed along our threads, the grin in his voice somehow _heard_.

_Yeah? _

I heard him laugh, and outside the conversation his mouth moved from mine, making me whimper unthinkingly. He laughed again, trailing his lips up my jaw, nipping with sharp teeth, stealing my breath, making me pant, my hot fingers winding in his hair, pulling him closer, kissing the corner of his eye, his forehead, anywhere I could reach…

He stopped next to my ear, warm breath trailing teasingly across my neck and up into my hair, forcing my eyes gently closed – shooting open again with a gasp as he took my earlobe between his teeth for a sweet instant, kissing the secret circle behind my ear as he whispered in my head –

_Just do what you want. _

And just like that, I had some of my confidence back. Hell, I was _Reid_ _Garwin_ – there was no way I didn't know how to kiss.

My hands moved up, one winding in his hair, tugging gently at the base of his skull, making him moan and kiss me harder, the other curving around his neck, the skin hot and wet, and then slipping beneath his shirt again, tracing meaningless shapes and words on his back with my nails, a soft dance of whisper-skin.

He moved down to my pulse-point at my neck, his teeth scraping gently across the sensitised skin, making me tug on his hair again, harder. _No fair, _I thought at him in mock-pout mode. _I can't _reach _your throat. _

I heard his laugh inside my head, his body too breathless to do so in the real world, and his hand was moving up my back, slipping under my shirt, copying my movements under _his_ shirt, his other hand moving lower to press me against him, hard, an instant of wild roughness, and I saw stars, a flash of light from my eyes blinding my vision as that violent touch completed me, my back arching like a bow in my Alpha's arms, crying out, my fingers winding painfully in his hair; and with the light brush of pain he growled, biting down on my neck again as he thrust against me, his teeth re-drawing the bite from only minutes ago, and there's a brief flash of pain and white light from his eyes before yet another thread burns it's way from Caleb to me, just like with the last bite – soft violet, this time.

And both of us are panting, our breath harsh and soft together, and I'm so tired I sag in his arms, my legs no longer able to hold me up.

_Ssssh, _my mate whispers, mind-to-mind, laying me gently down on the sofa, his eyes soft dark as they send me into rest. _Just sleep. _He pressed a light kiss to my temple as I drifted away, smiling at me, surprisingly tender. _I'll see you in the morning._

The last thing I see is the braid of glowing threads, warm and light, before I'm enclosed in velvet blackness.

Caleb's POV 

I stand above him, smiling, filled with a soft joy and a tenderness I've never felt for anyone before – watching him sleep. He's so more innocent like this, his face wiped of the mask he wears all the time, that no one but me ever seemed to see was just that – a mask. Fake, unreal. And yet, as much a part of him as the whimpering, submissive persona I seem to love so much.

Oh shit. I can feel myself pale as I realise what I just thought. _Love…Do I really love him? After…After _**this?**

_**What is going **_**on?!**

I'm so confused, my mind is tearing itself into shreds. It's only now that the whole thing hits me like a wall of bricks – _I just screwed _Reid! _**Fuck! **What have I _**done?!**

It makes no _sense_! I've never felt anything for Reid before – he's more a _brother_ than a prospective _lover_, for gods' sake! I hide my face in my hands, curling up on the carpet, resting my elbows on my crossed knees. _What have I done? Why do I feel like this? _Even now, I just want to curl up around Reid, fall asleep with my arm draped over his waist, his body fitted into mine. _It makes no sense! _

Someone knocked at the door, and my head shot up, darting, reactive, brushing away the hint of tears with the back of my hand. "Yeah?"

It's my mom, standing in the doorway, her hand raised to knock again. She takes in the scene, and smiles at me sympathetically. "Oh, baby," she murmurs softly, moving forward and kneeling beside me to give me a hug. "Its okay, Caleb, its okay."

I don't cry – I'm too old to cry anymore, much as I wish I wasn't, sometimes – but I hug her back, fiercely, pouring my confusion and hurt and frustration into the gesture, begging her silently to explain, to know exactly what's going on and let my life go back to being as simple as it ever was again.

As I pull away, wiping at my eyes again, I ask her.

"Mom? I…" What can I say? I hold my hands out helplessly, gesturing at Reid, not considering even for a moment not telling her, somehow assuming, for whatever reason, that she already knows.

_And it's not like I thought to close the door_, I think to myself, wincing inwardly. _Please gods, don't let her have seen any of that! _

She reached out for my hand, twisting her skirts deftly with the other to arrange them in a pool around her feet. "Caleb…" She shook her head. "Firstly, I'm just so happy you managed not to get yourself killed." She hugged me again, and I laughed weakly – I'd completely forgotten about Chase, and it had only been…What? A few hours? "But second…I have some explaining to do. Come on." She stood carefully, tugging on my hand gently to make me follow her, but I froze in place when I realised she was trying to get me out of the room.

I dropped her hand as if it burned, and when she turned her head to see what was wrong she gasped, quickly silencing the sound as she took in my ink-black eyes.

"I'm not leaving Reid."

My voice was cold, stating a set-in-stone fact, my body bracing for a fight. I _wasn't leaving him_, and at that moment my confusion and frustration fled. Everything was clear, simple, and worrying about it just wasn't important – _he was mine_, and he was asleep. Defenceless. I wouldn't leave him like that.

"Of course, of course," my mother reassured me, a tint of fear in her gaze as she glanced over at the sleeping blonde, and I growled low, angry that she would even _look_ at him, my hands curling into fists as I fought not to Use. _Don't_, I told myself, trying to rationalise. _She's your mother! _

That part of me with black eyes was snarling _So? _

"Do you want to sit with him?" The Denvers Matriarch asked me, and I nodded sharply, returning to my place on the sofa, lying as I'd wanted to – my arms around his waist, his body fitted to mine, my chin resting on his shoulder, eyes watching my mother as she took a seat in one of the armchairs, looking pretty awkward.

"Caleb…There's a lot of important things you, Pogue, and Reid weren't told until tonight. I really should have warned you before, but…With everything…" She took a few deep breaths, and vaguely I felt I should be comforting her, but I stayed silent, just watching, my hands tightening on Reid instead, and he murmured something too low to hear.

Once she had her composure back, she went on. "The Powers always go to the eldest male of the generation. You know that." I nodded to show I was listening, giving no other signs but my eyes fixed on her, still dark. "There were always five sons in a generation, somehow – there has never been one in which there were all girls, for which we are glad. And – these five were important, linked together to create harmony. Five Players, Users, Warlocks, whatever you want to call them." She looked up at me, and I could see the memory of Chase in her gaze. "Once the fifth family was destroyed," _though only tonight,_ I thought, "there are four: the Alpha, the Warrior, the Knower, and the Peace-Keeper, the personas the five sons slip into when they Ascend."

I frowned – it sounded more like something from a story than real life. "Explain."

"The Alpha is the strongest of the covenant, the one who's Power can defeat all others. The drawback is that the Power he has will drive him insane without his mate, and if he loses control…" She gestured helplessly, reminding me of how I'd made that same gesture only minutes ago. "His Power will destroy him – and everything else within a hundred miles."

My eyes widened in shock. _A hundred miles! _I tried to imagine that much devastation coming from one of us, but I couldn't grasp it.

"The Warrior is, I suppose, the second-in-command, the one who will keep the others from killing each other, the voice of reason. He is more dangerous when threatened, because with his mate the Alpha will almost never fight, preferring to Use as little as possible and with more logic to solve a problem as quickly as can be done. The Knower is very different to both of them – he isn't a fighter at all. Instead, he holds the knowledge of the Covenant, to use when there is a need, for council and for war."

She stopped, then, and my eyes flickered back into the black – why was it happening so often now? – when she glanced worriedly towards Reid. I frowned, wondering what was wrong, briefly, the thought living and breathing for an instant before I was lost, once again, growling softly, teeth bared. _A warning_.

"The Peace-Keeper," She murmured, then repeated it, louder, surer. "Peace-Keeper, the fourth. He doesn't keep the peace by stopping the fighting – that's left to the Warrior. The Fourth among the Five 'keeps the peace' by keeping the Alpha sane."

_My mate._ I stated, calmly, easily accepting in my mind, that soft dark voice whispering up from my depths. _I knew that._

_**I**__ didn't!_ I yell at it, the real me that's normal as I can be, the me that has normal human eyes and goes to a normal human school and has a normal human girlfriend – _that_ me! _I didn't know that! _I shout again, the words echoing back at me.

_Know that, know that, know that…_

_Yes you did._

It's whispered, quiet, but I hear it anyway – is it possible to _not_ hear something in your own head? – and I realise that my hand is under Reid's shirt, my palm covering his stomach, the fingertips brushing gently, absently, without thinking, and that he's sighing in his sleep, content, and the sound makes my heart ache with tenderness.

_**What the HELL?! **_

Shocked, I tear my hand out and back, hesitating before resting it on his hip, trying to close my ears against the tear-summoning whimper that breathes from Reid's lips, trying to fight the roaring wave of Power that's sweeping through me, tearing, ignoring what I _want_, saying _forget what you _want_. This is what you _need, taking control, placing my hand back onto the muscled warmth of my mate's chest, the smooth silk of his shirt contrasting and blending with the feel of his skin.

He sighs softly again, shifting, leaning his head back a little to brush his hair against my face, and I can't resist purring, my eyes darkening again as I start to move my hand up higher…

"Caleb."

My head clicks around, and I snarl, softly so as not to wake the golden-haired dream beside me, but it's a snarl nonetheless and she'd better take the warning or I _swear_…

But she just sits there, calm, steady, giving me no weakness to exploit, to prove Reid's safety, and it throws me, so that I narrow my eyes at her, staring, waiting, watching, calming.

When my breathing's eased and the Power has retreated enough to bare some of my whites, my mother starts speaking again, slowly, calmly, making no eye contact with me. Doing nothing that might antagonise me.

"I want to say sorry, Caleb," She tells me, staring at a painting above the fireplace, the darkened oils depicting a bonfire beneath a new-moon sky, needle-pricks of white like drops of star-shine night-blood, shadowy figures, one two three four _five_ standing away from the light.

She turned to face me, but kept her eyes below me, on the carpet beneath my feet. "We…The rest of us, we thought your Power would chose Tyler. Ever since all of you were little, he's been the calm one, never fighting, never starting anything…No trouble at school, with that Aaron boy, or whatever his name is...So we took him aside when he was fifteen, started teaching him about all of this, the Players in the Game, what would be expected of him when…_If _you chose him."

And it's true; I can hear the truth of it all behind her words, a shimmering light veiled behind the language…Or do I see it? I'm not sure, and toss the thought aside without dwelling on it. It's even easier to remember the facts that support what she's saying: Tyler, a few weeks after his fifteenth birthday, coming back from an after-school group late, his quietness, his deep thinking, the expression that crossed his face when I walked into the room – stunned, horrified, struggling, determined, unsure, uncertain, scared…The exchange of glances between the other three of us, confused, but we let it slide when all of it disappeared in an instant, his voice calm, a nothing-wrong-forget-it voice.

That same expression every time he returned from his twice-monthly 'group', never telling us what he did there, saying he wanted some time on his own. The day Reid followed him, determined to find out what was going on, Tyler Used on him, slid him into a deep sleep, gentle but strong, and the next day the blonde bad-boy got a lecture from his parents about privacy.

We eventually forgot about it, leaving it alone as the 'group meetings' got further and further apart until we though they'd stopped all together.

"But we were so sure," the Denvers Matriarch told me, absently, her hinds winding in her skirts. "There seemed no other possibility. Pogue…" She shrugged delicately, the motion somehow irritating in a way I couldn't put my finger on, but I was quiet. "He was too strong to be a Peace-Keeper – and he thought too much. His parents guessed he would be the Knower, he was so interested in the Book, up until about a year ago, when he just lost interest. And Reid…" She twisted her hand, contemptuous, catching herself as I growled, tightening my grip protectively on said blonde, "he just…He was always getting into trouble. And he was too dominant. He wouldn't make a very good –"

I snarled, loud and harsh, baring teeth and Power that flooded into my eyes, drowning any sign of my human heritage. "Don't finish that sentence, _Mother_," I whispered, knowing she could hear me, my soft, mocking tone. "_Don't._"

Her eyes were wide, startled, as if she couldn't understand how I could possibly threaten her, _her_, my parent. Silently, I snorted – she obviously didn't understand what she was talking about, either.

Reid was mine. _Mine._ And nobody hurt what was mine.

_No one_.

What did I care for my blood-parent? At that moment – nothing. I wasn't an idiot, I knew my father was dead – knew who's Power had been willed to be at just the right moment, just when I needed it most – but I felt almost nothing. Someone else was filling the space he'd left unoccupied for so long – and they were filling it _better_.

With that thought, a smile forming, I stood up, lifting Reid carefully in my arms, tenderly, gently, and I loved how it seemed so _right_, the gesture, the submission in him, the gentleness, the calm – it was just…

I looked back up at my mother, ready to finish. "I only have a few questions, and then I want to retire. It's been a long – night."

She nodded, and I started.

Question number one. "Why was it just assumed I would become the Alpha?"

"It wasn't," she told me. "No one knows who will take which place – it's not as though every Denvers is an Alpha, or something so simple. It twists and changes – an ever-evolving dance. But the Alpha is the strongest, and _that_ you always were."

I nodded. Simple enough – should have worked it out on my own, really. I'd thought I'd had more questions, but if I did, I'd forgotten them already. "That's it. Goodnight." Without another word, I turned, mind already turning to getting my mate upstairs…

"One more thing, Caleb." She was stern, serious, and the tone caught at me. "Yes?"

"Two things, really," she amended, and I struggled not to snarl. I was impatient to introduce Reid to my bedroom – I wanted to be gone as soon as possible.

She eyed me sharply. "This is important, Caleb. Listen."

"I _am_ listening!" Biting back my growl, snarl, holding back the black tide.

"I'll cut to the chase then. You and Reid will have started to form a bond by this point – a braid of coloured threads?" She queried, seeing my blank look. I remembered the glowing colours, linking me to the blonde, but resisted the urge to look down and see them again.

"Yes, three threads; gold, red and violet. Your point?"

She ignored my tone. "This is the bond that forms between mates – Tyler will explain it to you tomorrow. There are three steps that form it – the Mark, the Touch, and the Taking – but every act of intimacy or kindness between the two of you will form a new thread, while every act of the opposite will weaken or break one, depending on how bad it is." I motioned for her to get on with it. "The three steps are very important, and you cannot proceed to the next step before you have the right number of threads. For example. The Mark will start the process, and you have to earn ten threads before you can move to the Touch, and another twenty until the Taking. With the final step, the bond will be set and fully formed, and any possibility of your losing your mind will be eradicated."

She gave me a serious, stern look. "I do not say this to insult you, so keep your temper in check, but hear me out. There has never been an abusive Alpha, because the bond shares emotions and feelings between the two mates. Its magic also creates love between them – this is a completely natural process, so don't worry. I am just saying – do not be the first to prove this law wrong, Caleb.

"Now, for the last thing," and I rolled my eyes, screaming inside for her to _hurry up_ "you two will not age from Using once your bond is set."

My impatience died instantly. "What?" I whispered, my Power fading, letting my logic rule. "What did you say?"

She smiled. "Once the two of you have solidified your bond, neither of you will age from the Power. You will grow old naturally, Caleb, and so will Reid."

_Reid_. That's what I was thinking of – the blonde bad-boy. I'd been so scared, these last few months, that he was addicted, that the moment he Ascended he would start to age, unable to control himself, that the Power would eventually kill him – but that would never happen now.

I could keep him safe.

I looked up at my mom, properly, smiled weakly in thanks. "I'm sorry, mother," I murmured. "I -"

"There's nothing to be sorry for, Caleb," she told me, brushing my apology aside. "The two of you go to bed. Just remember what I said, though: I know you'll want him," oh _gods _I can't _believe_ she just said that I think I'm going to _die_ "but wait until you have all thirty threads, okay? Otherwise the threads will become corrupted."

I didn't ask what that meant, deciding I would ask Tyler about it tomorrow – she'd said he'd explain it to me, so…

"Goodnight, mother," I said, biting back a yawn, and without another word I made it to my room, setting Reid down beside me in the bed, Using to get him into pyjamas, but was asleep in moments.

_Oh well_, I thought to myself as I drifted off, tightening my hold on the waist of my mate, _it can wait until tomorrow._


	7. Morning After

**Hey guys! I know this is short, but I wasn't really sure what to do with it. The next chapter will be longer, and will focus more on Chase, I'm afraid, so I hope no one's averse to that. Please review for me! You're not getting the next one until I'm on thirty reviews, so I suggest you all PRESS THE BUTTON!!!**

_Chapter Six – Morning After_

Reid's POV

I don't want to wake up.

It's warm, smooth sheets caressing my skin and hands caressing my chest, making me squirm, and my mind isn't awake enough to be embarrassed as I moan, a soft mouth leaning down to my neck, the light pressure making me wince with pain, the quick flash of something-not-ecstasy waking me up for real.

Damn it.

I stretch, still under the covers, silk rubbing against my skin pleasantly via whatever it is I'm wearing, and as I arch my body presses up against someone else.

_Morning Reid._ The soft voice in my head sounds as though it can't decide whether to moan as I come into contact with their hips or laugh at my antics.

_Morning..._I yawn, even in thought, and then my eyes shoot open as I realise that a) I'm talking telepathically, which I've never done before, b) I'm in someone else's bed with no idea how I'd gotten there, and c) the person who is also in said bed is _Caleb! _

"Shit!" I yell, throwing the heavy blankets back as I swing out of the bed, standing frozen once I'm on the floor – how the hell do you act when you wake up in one of your best friend's beds? Besides struggling not to blush at the memory of your wake-up call, that is. The memories of which was not helping the situation one bit.

Nor was the sight of said friend, who was lying on his side, propped up on one arm, hair deliciously messy and his muscled chest – which looked so gods-damn-it _hot_ it shouldn't have been _legal _– open to my view, his blue-silk button-up shirt being completely un-buttoned. I had to close my eyes, because I was absolutely _positive_ that if I didn't I was going to leap straight back on the bed, and wouldn't leave it for _at least_ an hour, if I got my way.

I had no idea why I felt like this – it was _Caleb_, for crying out loud!

And I _**wasn't gay!**_

Okay. Okay. _Deeeeeeeep_ breath…

Oh.

Oh yeah.

I glanced back at Caleb, the memories from last night pouring back into place. _Alpha Warrior Knower 'Keeper mate, Tyler bond secrets shut up Book, __**I have to fucking fuck Caleb**__, you say that like it's a bad thing…_

_Black eyes moaning whimpering lightning-pleasure star-flash, fingers mouth bite threads gold ruby violet gods…_

This just wasn't going to be my day.

I hid my head in my hands, my shoulders shaking as I fought not to cry. I just felt weaker than normal, more emotional, like something had picked me up and shaken me around, taking me apart, and when I'd been put back together and on my feet the pieces didn't fit the same way anymore, and I didn't know how to deal with it. I'd never had a problem dating a dozen different girls, but the thought of what I'd done last night was making me burn bright red, twisting anger and embarrassment and a whole lot of confused feelings together.

Mostly because I wanted the whole thing to happen all over again. And again.

And one more time wouldn't hurt, right?

I took a deep breath, the air rasping in my throat like sandpaper, trying to pull myself together again, when I felt soft hands on mine, gently tugging mine away from my face.

Looking up, I saw Caleb, standing there holding my hands, his grip firm but infinitely gentle, and I just melted at the look on his face – tender, loving, understanding, made all the more real because I knew, just _knew_, he had to be going through exactly the same thing, and, for lack of a better way to say it, my heart ached at the softness in his eyes. Human eyes, letting me know this was no Power instinct, not something he had no control over – this was _him_.

And for some reason I couldn't name, that meant something huge to me.

I thought he was going to kiss me, but he just leaned his forehead against mine, so our eyes could see nothing but each other.

_Reid – its okay. There's nothing wrong with you – with us. My mother explained everything last night; this whole thing is normal. Call me a girl, but we're supposed to be together._

I laughed out loud, and he grinned, his eyes sparkling as his mouth curved, and he kissed me gently, so softly I could barely feel it. It made me _ache_.

It made me _burn._

_I'm no girl either,_ I murmured, my mind-voice husky. _You don't have to treat me gently – I'm not going to break._ I took my hands out of his, placing them on his neck, running my right palm softly up and down, from the base of his skull to the top of his spine, up and down until he was starting to flush, his breathing starting to speed up deliciously.

_You can do _this _to me –_ my hand knotted into his hair, tugging sharply, ripping a gasp from him, _or _this – my other hand trailed down the back of his shirt, pressing in with my nails, playing with the hem of his shirt before darting underneath to meet hot skin, _and this_, scratching lightly down his vertebrae, making him arch into the touch, _and I won't break. But…_I used my hand in his hair to force his head down to meet my gaze, revelling in the feeling of control, in the darkening of his eyes, letting me know just how far I was pushing him.

_Do _this _to me, _my hand locking just below his hips, thrusting into him, grinding, trying to keep my ability to _think_ as Caleb moaned and wrapped his arms around my neck, his eyes fading quickly into onyx blackness, _and _then_ we might have a problem. _

As can be expected, it was quite a while before we left the room for breakfast.

Caleb's POV

When it was over, I grinned to see that Reid could barely stand – again. Both of us had flashed our eyes white as we came, and I wanted to try and remember to ask Tyler about it. Not really the sort of thing you want to discuss with your mother.

I was dressed pretty quickly – denim jeans, black shirt, matching black leather jacket – to give me more time to sit on the bed and watch Reid.

He noticed me after a second. Grinning, he turned a full circle, his arms spread, as if to say _come and get me_. "Like what you see, hot stuff?"

Inwardly, I laughed, but kept my face serious. "Yes, actually," I said, off-handily, as if it were of no importance. "Especially," I added, standing now, moving over to him, "since," running my hands down his bare sides, his shirt clutched in a hand, "you need," taking the shirt from him even as I leaned in closer, drawing my mouth down his neck, the light scrape of teeth summoning the Power to his eyes, "help," down further, nipping at his chest, smirking at the red marks there from last night, "getting dressed."

He didn't say anything for a second, his body trembling and his breathing hard, eyes shuttered closed, but then he opened them, his face a mixture of longing and confusion. "What?"

I smirked, easily slipping the shirt on over his head. "You need help getting dressed," I repeated, grinning, stepping away and slipping out the door, completely ignoring the fact that he was, how shall I say…Hot and bothered?

This teasing thing was _fun_. Especially when he yelled inside my head.

_Caleb fucking Denvers! Don't you fucking _dare_! I swear by the Power, I can make you life a living _hell_ and I'll do it! _

I sent back a confused expression. _Reid, whatever is the matter? All I did was do your shirt for you. If you can dress yourself, all you had to do was say so. No reason to shout at me._

There was a moment of silence, then –

_Oh, you are _so_ dead, Denvers. __**So **__dead. _

_Bring it on, Garwin, _I grinned into his head.

He didn't reply, cutting the link instead – must remember to ask about that as well – and I made my way to the kitchen. My mother was still in bed – it _was _a Saturday, after all – and the maids knew that the family preferred to be on our own at weekends, so no one had made breakfast either. Reid was going to have a heart-attack when he realised that the Covenant's 'precious golden boy' wasn't served hand-and-foot twenty-four-seven. I snorted mentally as I poured some cereal, not in the mood for anything heavier, wondering how exactly Reid was going to get me back.

I was lost in a fantasy involving silk cords and Reid writhing on a bed when afore-mentioned blonde actually appeared in the kitchen – or at least, I had my back to the door, but the threads connecting us thrummed gently with his presence, and I turned, a greeting on my lips.

My eyes widened, my jaw almost dropping as I drank in the sight of him. He was _gorgeous _– and I knew just how he meant to get back at me.

His hair was gelled up, messily – but obviously carefully – styled, making it look as though he'd just come from a lover's tryst or a heavy make-out session. His white button-up shirt was half-open, shamelessly baring the red love-bites from last night and this morning, matching the violet and blue one on his neck, that contrasted with his pale skin. The trousers – which he's pilfered from my wardrobe, though seeing as they were originally his I didn't care that much – were black _leather_, looking as though someone had poured sleek, shining oil over his legs, they hugged his form so tightly.

And his smirk, as he leaned against the door frame in a model-like pose, was so sexy the Power rushed through me like a drug high, blurring the edges of my Self, re-writing me into what it wanted me to be, removing my inhibitions.

Standing, I reached for him, instinctively manipulating the braid of threads to take down the mental barriers between us, flooding his mind with exactly what I was thinking.

I saw him shiver, his eyes flickering closed, before he regained his composure, smirking again as he completely ignored me, walking past me to the toaster, his hips swinging just enough to be sinfully tempting, making me groan, right there in the god-damn _kitchen_!

"Reid, that – is – not – _fair!_" I murmured, coming up behind him, my hands resting on his waist, stroking, my fingertips teasing the skin beneath his shirt.

With so much self-restraint I was amazed, Reid completely ignored me, slipping the two slices of white bread into the silver toaster, pressing the little slide down until it _clicked_, pivoting on his heel to reach the cupboard, making me gasp as he inadvertedly – maybe – ground into me with the movement.

I sensed his smirk as he placed the blue-and-white plate beside the toaster, ready and waiting, then slipped out of my hold, darting for the fridge and the cutlery drawer, his hand closing around a white-wood handled knife as he peered into the fridge, bending over to give me a tantalising view…

_Bastard_, I moaned via our link, and I felt him grin.

_Don't you have any honey in here?_

For a moment, I was thrown, my mind _very_ far away. "What?" I asked aloud, unable to concentrate enough to mind-speak – it required a certain way of thinking, as if you were _outside_ your head, which was pretty difficult.

He sighed, mock-exasperated. "I _said_, hot stuff, do you have any _honey_?"

_Hot stuff. That my new nickname? _I teased, laughingly, glad we could speak this way – because my voice would be embarrassingly breathless if we were speaking aloud.

_Shut up and answer the question! _

I rolled my eyes. "I have no idea if we have honey or not. I don't like it, and neither does my mother. So I doubt it."

"Why couldn't you have just said that then?" He asked, grumbling, muttering under his breath as he returned to the counter, pat of bright gold butter in hand – apparently a satisfactory replacement for the honey. As if by magic – I grinned at the thought – the toast popped the moment he set down the knife.

In moments, he had perfectly golden toast, munching said breakfast-material while sitting on the counter, resting on one hand elegantly while I had to make do with a chair, watching as his tongue darted out to lick the melted drops from around his mouth, clenching a fist so as not to corrupt our bond and just _take him_.

I'd never been this…_Passionate_ before, I thought to myself. It had to be something to do with our bond. Which reminded me.

"We have to talk to the others today," I said absently, more thinking out loud than making a direct comment.

Reid paled, swallowing the last bite and pausing in sucking his fingers clean, a fact I was grateful for – because if he hadn't… "Do we really have to?"

I knew what he meant. The thought of facing the others – especially Tyler, who _knew_ – was terrifying. And how were we supposed to explain this to Pogue?

But we had to. I had to know what I could and couldn't do with the bond. That was my one aim – to solidify it, to make Reid safe, forever.

"Yeah," I said, sighing, as I pushed my chair back and stood. "We do. Come on."

Chase's POV

The last thing I remembered was searing, burning heat, scorching my skin into charcoal, Caleb's Power ripping into me like a hundred thousand white-hot swords, my scream at the mind-shattering agony, both physical and that sense reserved for the Power, the mental torture as I felt the Power twist, blend, mix with the fire, and the explosion of raw strength threw me into the abyss.

Which was definitely not this place.

I had no idea where I was, why my clothes weren't burned, why there was no pain. Why this wasn't anywhere near the Putnam barn, why the sky was twilight instead of midnight, why the air was cool and calm instead of being ripped apart by lightning and soul-thunder.

Trees, everywhere. I was standing in a forest, but I had no idea how it was possible for this place to exist. I saw firs next to oaks, tropical rubber trees growing alongside silver aspens and ash saplings. There were ferns that wouldn't be out of place in a rainforest, sprinkled through with English daisies. Everywhere I looked, there was an impossible mix of continents and climates – the burning red cana lilies, the delicate violets, the red squirrel beside the fruit bat.

And it was cool here, not at all right for jungle plants, surely.

This wasn't possible. It couldn't be.

What had Caleb done?

_Okay, Chase_, I told myself, turning in a circle to take in my surroundings, seeing nothing that could help me figure out where I was. _Just start walking. You have to get somewhere eventually._

Taking a deep, shaking breath, pushing down my growing panic, I carved a path between the trees.


	8. A Goddess and a Murderer

**Hey people! Right – I haven't got the reviews I asked for )mutters( but I've just HAD to write this, and I see no reason to delay the posting of it. I want comments on how well I've pulled off Chase, people! And also the guilt-scene at the end – is it realistic? I don't know – I've never killed anybody…**

_Chapter Seven – A Goddess and a Murderer_

Reid's POV

I stared at the door. In fact, it would be more accurate to say I was glaring at it.

From beside me, Caleb sighed, and I felt his eyes on me, sympathetic but determined. _You know we have to go in._

"I know," I answered aloud, for no reason other than I felt like it – plus, it was still instinctive to speak rather than think my answers. _But that doesn't mean I have to like it,_ I thought to myself.

_You don't have to _like_ it, but we have to _do _it. Come on, they're not going to freak, are they? If it happens every generation, than it's the norm._

And _that_ was why I preferred to speak. I hadn't yet figured out how to think and not let him hear it.

Sighing, mentally and out loud, trying to ignore the painful clenching in my stomach as I swung the car door open. I was sick with nervousness, and I wasn't really sure why. What the _hell_ were they going to do? _I had Caleb! _

_Bloody right you do. _

_Can't you stay _out_ of my head for _three minutes?!

_Actually, no. It's like you're projecting your thoughts through the threads – very loudly, might I add – and I can't help hearing them. You need to figure out the volume control before I get a headache. _

Walking past me, ignoring my pissed expression except to laugh at it, the Alpha pressed the bell of Tyler's house.

We stood in silence as we heard it ring through the manor, my stomach clenching and unclenching painfully, adrenalin pumping through my blood. As my Power flooded my eyes, triggered by my fear, Caleb's head swung around, sensing my strength coming to the fore, his own eyes black as ink for an instant before he realised I wasn't angry - just scared.

_Hey_, he mind-whispered softly, coming up behind me, gently placing his arms around my waist, leaning his chin on my shoulder, _hey, ssshh, it's okay. Reid, its okay. _One hand brushed over my face, tenderly wiping away the tears I hadn't notice fall, then turning my face to his to press a soft kiss on my mouth.

My body shuddered, my eyes closing, and surrender never felt this sweet before, and his tongue is gently caressing my lips, coaxing the tears away, and I'm so high I can't even remember where we are, never mind why I was nervous…

"Guys?"

I still have my eyes closed, but I feel Caleb's growl against my mouth, and when he pulls away, mouth smirking at my quiet, unintentional whimper, his eyes are dark as we both look to who interrupted us.

Pogue's standing in the doorway, holding the gold-wood door open, and I'm fighting to keep my usual cocky, uncaring attitude, because it's rather hard not to start blushing.

_Fuck it._

Chase's POV

Yelling in frustration, I throw myself to the ground, a shockwave of Power flowing out of me in an instant, decimating a wide circle of trees around me.

Where the _hell_ am I?! It feels like I've been walking for _hours_, but the light hasn't changed at all – it still looks like twilight, when it aught to be pitch black darkness by now! The trees don't seem to change, no matter how far I go, and there's no landmarks at all to help me! Absolutely nothing! None of the trees are particularly distinctive, there's no boulders or something – nothing!

"And why is the little mage throwing a tantrum, where someone not as understanding may hear him?"

I leapt to my feet in an instant, Power in my eyes, ready for anything but not expecting anything. What experience do I have to go on, to have an idea of what could happen?

When I see who it was that spoke, I frown in confusion, the Power returning to the dark place inside.

It's a woman, tall and strongly-built. Her face is almost elfin, the cheekbones high and sweeping and her eyes arching into wild slits, revealing golden eyes – really gold, as mine are black when I Use. I've never seen that before, and for a moment my assessment of her halts.

Her black hair is tied back in a graceful high ponytail, a leather band keeping any stray strands out of her eyes, the brown of the tanned material going well with her wood-tanned skin. Her arms and upper body is covered in a dark green shirt of some thick material, the colour reminding me of forest shadows. Her trousers are darker still, mottled with tree-brown, the cut of them somehow out of place, like nothing I've seen before – but I don't know much about fashion, and I can't put my finger on it.

My attention is on the long, slim blade in her right hand, simple and elegant, the edge looking as though it could make the air itself bleed. There's a matching one in her scabbard, on her left side, the pair of the one on her right. And I'm pretty sure there's a silver hilt peeking out of her left shirt sleeve – as if there's a dagger hidden in her shirt.

"Well, mageling?" She asks again, her voice controlling, used to be obeyed, and I'm shaken out of my thoughts.

"Pardon, ma'am?" I say, smiling with the expression I reserve for teachers. I've managed to wrap every figure of authority I've ever met around my finger – it's probably a good thing to put those skills into practice here.

She grins, a feral, wild smile that sends chills down my back, but I don't show it.

"You, mageling. What is a mortal doing in the Ever-Twilight?"

I shrugged. "I'm not sure, actually. I think someone used a spell accidentally, sending me here instead of killing me." It's the only thing I've been able to come up with after all these hours of thought. I just have no idea what, or how he did it.

She cocked her head, the movement, which looks childish on most people, seeming disturbing on her, as if Death was sucking his thumb. "A Witch-War, mageling? And which side did you fight for, I wonder?"

I stayed silent. I wasn't sure what she was asking, or why, and I didn't want to feel the bite of her sword if my answer was the wrong one.

But she didn't seem to expect an answer. "Do you know who I am, mageling?"

I shook my head slowly. "No, ma'am, I can't say I do."

She threw her head back and laughed, finally lowering her sword, the silver blade catching what little light there was and shining like a star. "Mageling, I am not a 'ma'am' and I never will be. I am the Morrigan, incarnation of war here in Otherworld. There are many of my kindred, and most would have killed you on sight."

That didn't sound good. "Why didn't you?" I asked, hesitantly, not doubting for a moment that she didn't speak the truth – especially considering the clashes of swords and the death-screams I'd heard behind her laughter.

"Because you interested me, mageling. No mortal has walked these woods for many a long year, and I grow bored. Life is dull here." She cocked her head again, and I fought not to flinch. "And you amuse me, also, little mortal. You Power is strong – unnaturally so. How is this?"

I frowned, before realising what she meant. "My father willed me his Power some time ago, Morrigan. So I have two shares of strength."

She nodded slowly, as if thinking deeply, slipping her sword back into its scabbard absently, unthinkingly. Either she thought me safe or too weak to be a threat, and I wasn't sure which I preferred.

"That would explain it…" She murmured, as if to herself. "And where, then, is your mate?"

_What? _"I don't understand you, Morrigan," I told her, frowning. "I don't have a mate."

Her eyes widened in shock. "Then how do you stand before me, little mageling? Are you not the Alpha of the Covenant, the one of which we have heard so much about?"

I shook my head, slowly. "I don't know what you're talking about, my lady." The last was an instinctive reaction, somehow. "I don't know of any Alpha, though I _am _part of the Covenant of Ipswich."

"Ipswich?" She questioned, then her eyes lit up. "Ah, yes. The name has changed since my time, but it is the same place." She looked at me, searchingly. "If you are not the Alpha, which role do you play?"

"My lady, I truly do not understand what you speak of." I told her, a hint of frustration colouring my tone.

She waved her hand impatiently. "There is much you have to learn, mageling. The Alpha, the Warrior, the Knower, the Peace-Keeper, and the Rogue, the five players of Ipswich. In whose skin do you walk?"

I grinned, the smirk savage and wild as Power flooded through me, answering my thought. "The Rogue, my lady."

"Ah!" She grinned, baring sharp teeth. "My own, then. For each of the players has a patron, and the Rogue's is the goddess of war. Since you are here," she gestured around us, to indicate the forest, "you shall begin your apprenticeship. As I said, you have much to learn, if you are not to lose your mind and your life."

That brought me up short, jolting the Power back from whence it came. "What?"

She clicked her tongue. "You, mageling. You have more strength than your body can naturally handle – thus, you need a mate to ground it. This is how the Power works. The Alpha, also, needs a mate, but for slightly different reasons – it is his mind that cannot handle his strength, not his body. You, though," she walked towards me, laying her hand on my chest, "your mind will eventually shatter if your Power is not grounded, killing all around you. Thus, you will need a bond with another who wields the Power. Power anchors Power, and because you are so strong, you need one whose strength is only a little less than yours."

"Caleb," I whispered, my mind working furiously.

She nodded. "This Caleb, he is strong?"

_How did she know Caleb is a guy? Well, the name's masculine, I guess…_"Very," I murmured. "But he will not want to mate with me, Morrigan. This Witch-War we fought – it was because I tried to force him to will me his Power." And I wasn't really sure how _I _felt about it – Caleb? As my _mate_? I had a pretty good idea what that would involve, and while the act itself didn't faze me – Aaron wasn't as stupid as everyone seemed to think he was; I _was_ a 'fag', as he so eloquently put it, and after all these years it didn't bother me – though it _did_ make swimming practice with the guys a little…_Bothersome_, sometimes – the fact that it was _Caleb_, the Covenant's golden boy…Oh, _that _irked me.

Even if he _was_ pretty hot. That time in Sarah's dorm room, I hadn't been able to resist stealing a kiss – having the leader of the Sons of Ipswich pinned under me was a _huge_ turn-on.

She stepped back, frowning. "You stupid boy! Have you any idea how idiotic that was? Yet _more_ Power, and the loss of the only one suitable as your mate? It would have been suicide! You should be glad you did not succeed!" She turned, drawing her sword as she waited at the edge of the trees. "But fear not, little mageling – I shall teach you how to forge a bond with one unwilling. There are ways and means, never fear. Now, come! We have far to go before the stars rise."

And she disappeared into the shadows, the only thing letting me follow her the sent of her own Power – a hundred times that of my own.

Caleb's POV

"Well? You two lovebirds going to come in or not?" Grinning, Pogue retreated into the hallway, holding the door in an imitation of a butler, and I smirked, my anger at being interrupted fading along with the darkness in my eyes. The usual butler, a stuffy git called Harold (did they change their names, I wondered, so that the same names went round and round for butlers all over the world?) was off sick, and had been the last few weeks. We – the four of us – all hated him, and the feeling was mutual – he refused to let us sneak out late, come in with muddy shoes or clothing after a rave in the woods, and was persistent in trying to find the cause of the strange 'happenings' around Pogue's family.

But the Covenant protects its own – he, nor anyone else, would _ever _discover our secret. The only person who could ever expose us was dead and gone – surely his body had simply been incinerated in that explosion of fire and raw Power?

I took my hands from Reid's hips, albeit reluctantly, and noticed, frowning, that there was no new thread.

What?

The blonde bad-boy and I followed Pogue to his casual reception room, a copy of the same painting as in mine hanging above the mantel. Briefly, I wondered why it was so important to the Families – as far as I knew, all of us had that same painting somewhere in the manors.

_Maybe it's to show how the Covenant's meant to be, _I thought, a twinge of guilt and sadness colouring my thoughts. _All of us, standing together, against the world. _

Reid must have caught my thought, because he crossed the few feet between us to take my hand, whispering _You did what you had to do, Caleb. It was you, and the rest of us…Or him. _

_Not really much of a choice, _I sent back, trying to grin. But something in me cried out for forgiveness, as if I'd committed murder.

I froze, stunned, and Reid turned to me, feeling the raw, primal emotions raging through our bond, cocking his head, asking me silently what was wrong.

But I didn't see him, didn't hear him, even when his voice shouted inside my head – I couldn't, because the one thought running round and round my mind was

_I __**killed **__him! _

He was _dead! _Chase Collins, the fifth Son of Ipswich, the final Player, the one who was supposed to stand beside us, with us, and us with him – he was _dead! _He would never Use again, never feel the siren silk-song-whisper through his blood, through his _soul_, never laugh or smile or have a family. He'd never even _breathe_ again, and it was _all – my – fault! _

I couldn't get my head around it. The thought of someone just _not existing _– _anyone_, not Chase in particular, was mind-shattering. A mortal just couldn't understand it. If I'd killed _anyone_, some random person on the street, it would feel terrible – but it was _worse_ because it was a Brother. Someone I was supposed to _protect_ against the rest of the world, someone I was supposed to keep safe – and I hadn't done it, I'd failed, and then I'd _killed_ him.

And what was his crime? What was so astoundingly horrifying that he'd had to be wiped from existence? He was addicted. It was like blaming a drug addict, who'd gotten hooked when he was thirteen, for being an addict. It wasn't even his fault – who was there to tell him? "Son, let's take a walk. There's some things you should know…" All of us, _all of us_, had had 'the talk' after we got our first Taste – me, from my mother, Reid, Tyler, Pogue – everything had been explained to us, everything told. We _knew_.

Chase didn't. He didn't know until it was too late, and then he'd had no one help him heal. Who had he to turn to? Reid, if our bond hadn't happened, if he'd Ascended and been addicted – there was us three backing him up, supporting him, helping him, _refusing to let him die_.

Chase had no one. I'd killed him because he didn't have a family – something completely out of his control and that he'd probably hated himself.

I couldn't believe what I'd done.

I didn't realise I'd fallen to the floor, to my knees, didn't realise I was crying, sobbing – all I could think was,

_I'm a murderer._


	9. Bonds

**Hey peoples! This chapter took AGES – it might not seem like it to you, but I was up till two in the morning writing this. SO YOU'D BETTER APRECIATE IT!!! Not really – I love writing this. But yeah…**

**Okay, some things to explain – time in the Otherworld is different to here. Days there pass in hours here. The conversation between Chase and the Morrigan in this chapter actually took about five minutes over here instead of the hour there. No, I haven't worked out exactly how much time here time there, and I'm not going to. So don't bother me with it.**

**Second – if I get anyone giving out to me that I'm being too nice to Chase – bugger off. I LIKE Chase – not that I don't think he was evil in the movie, but I can understand **_**why**_**. It really **_**wasn't**_** his fault – or so I think. **

**Also (because I'm sure this is going to be coming up) people might wonder why the Morrigan doesn't just get Chase un-addicted to the Power instead of training him. It's simple – a normal User can become addicted/un-addicted, but when you have more than your natural share of power (Caleb, as well as being Alpha, has his dad's Power too, so that goes for him as well as Chase,) you **_**have**_** to be bonded. Addiction doesn't come into it.**

**I think that covers everything…**

Chapter Eight – Bonds

Chase's POV

"Again!"

My eyes darken once more as I repeat the spell – no magic words in real life, I think to myself, grinning at just how wrong the story-books had it – and for an instant I'm lost, drowning in the silken song that burns through my blood, igniting, flaring, stoking, caressing, my body given up to the ecstasy –

The boulder lifts smoothly into the air, so different from the beginning, when it shot up jerkily, halting when it's level with the treetops that form my sky now.

At a nod from my lady, I lower it, releasing the Power so that it falls, crashing to the ground, back where it once rested.

I turn, expecting the usual praise, but instead my arm comes up in reflex to catch the flying blade, Using to cushion the impact against my palm – and strengthen my arm; I almost stagger as it's full weight pulls at me – it's so much heavier than it looks, the hilt alone weighing about as much as a brick. I can barely lift it.

Opening my mouth to say so, the goddess cuts me off with a curt gesture. "I have increased its weight for a brief time only, mageling, so do not complain. Eventually, this is how I will test your skill – by giving you a weapon much heavier than you are used to and duelling you thus. But for now," her eyes flashed silver, the light almost blinding to a normal human, but I'd grown used to it in the time I'd been here, it didn't alarm me any more, and the sword in my hand lightened considerably – it was still heavy, but I could _move_ it now, though with difficulty.

I'd started to grow worried at the mention of fighting the goddess of war, but I couldn't control the flood of fear-summoned Power when the Morrigan clasped her other blade, getting into position. She truly planned to fight me.

"My lady," I began, eyeing her blade, her causal stance, telling of an existence of this, of war and battle and blade. She knew how to fight like this. "I do not understand."

"Once again, you prove your ignorance, mageling," she told me, her voice instructive, not mocking. "I do this so that you may spend longer with me."

I frowned, even as I braced my legs to take more of the weight, ready to leap out of the way if she attacked me suddenly. "How so?" I'd found myself slipping into her way of speaking, and, really, who could blame me? It felt as though I'd been here weeks, counting the so-called 'days' by how often there were stars peering through the ceiling of emerald leaves and how often they weren't, the actual light never changing. I'd met no others of the Morrigan's kin, and what she'd said that first day was true – there were no other humans here.

She rolled her eyes, exasperated, and I knew to ask no more questions. The war goddess was a hard, though rarely impatient, taskmaster – and if I pushed her far enough, she didn't hesitate to crash me into a tree or the ground, hard enough to make my lose awareness.

Surprisingly, though, she answered this one. "You only have this threat of insanity because you have too much Power in your body, more than your natural share. Correct?"

It was a rhetorical question, but I nodded anyway, fingering the hilt of my sword. It was silver wire and leather wrapped around the bare metal, to give it more of a grip. Clever.

"So your body is unable to cope with this added strength," she continued, eyeing my stance appraisingly. "Thus, a stronger body can handle more Power than a weak body. The risk of your death is much less if your body is stronger; therefore, we must strengthen it. One way to do this is to train you in the arts of war, which is what I plan to do."

I got it – my body could, so to speak, 'absorb' more Power when it was in better shape, reducing the chances of me going insane or dying. So she was going to get me fitter.

I thought I could handle that.

"Now, begin!" She ordered, diving for me, her blade moving almost too quickly to see, giving me no more time to think.

I parried it – just, watching the sleek grace with which she whirled away, waiting for the next attack.

_Then again_, I thought, catching the point of her sword on my lower chest, the wound not bleeding, blade to heavy for me to move in time, _maybe not_.

Reid's POV

The swirling vortex of emotion pouring through our bond had me staggering, clutching my head. Guilt and sorrow threatened to drown me, swirling together to create a mass that made me ache with unshed tears.

Somewhere in there, I caught a sense of Chase, and knew what my mate was thinking.

_Caleb! _I shouted, as loud as I could inside his mind. _**Caleb!**_

He fell to the ground, as if his knees were too weak to support him, his hands knotting in his hair, tears shimmering across his face, his eyes dark as pitch, and I was shocked and desperate to make it stop. I'd never, ever seen him cry before – none of us had, and when I looked to the others for help, both of them now standing from their seats, I saw their expressions of disbelief.

Caleb was the strong one.

Caleb was the sure one.

The one who never, never broke down.

Something occurred to me that I should have thought of years ago.

_Where do all those unshed tears go if he never lets them fall? _

His soul had been drowning in those tears for a long, long time – and now that the dam was broken, none of us was going to put it back in place.

I'd make sure of it.

Slowly, gently, aching with the need to just _stop _his pain, I knelt down beside him, letting my arms wind into place around his waist, leaning my chin on his shoulder, kissing his ear, trailing my lips down his neck in an effort to distract him. _Make the pain go away_.

Catching a whisper of a thought, I murmured into his ear, "You're not a murderer, Caleb." Kiss his earlobe, trail downwards. "You're a saviour." Nip the spot under his chin, the soft, smooth skin there. "You saved," trace his throat with my teeth, "me," tasting the hollow of his throat, feeling him start to come out of it, "remember?" Kissing the same spot, letting my hands caress the back of his neck, softly, with just my fingertips.

And then his arms come up, suddenly, darting-fast, around my neck, and he's pushing me down and over, onto my back, and just the hot, hard weight of him on top of me is enough to make me groan, almost unaware of the lack of the guilt through the bond, unaware that he's no longer hurting, because all I can think about are his hands roving all over me, and his thigh slipping between my legs, kneading me so that I'm seeing stars, arching off the floor as my hands pull hard at his hair, the added sensation making his eyes flash pure, blinding white along with mine, just as he kisses me, hard, his tongue taking control, tasting, dominating, and then we're both tired and panting, grinning at each other, smiling, and my eyes are heavy, and my head's falling to one side, ready to slip into sleep –

Someone clears their throat, and I remember our audience.

_God-damn fucking _hell!

Chase's POV

"It is time I taught you of bonds, little mageling." The Morrigan announced one day, swinging her bare feet in the water of the river, one hand trailing in the clear water.

I looked up, startled that she'd spoken. We'd journeyed for hours from our usual haunts – the glade where the majority of my training took place, the mile or so large area where we hunted fleet-footed deer and boar with ivory-handled spears, running bare-foot over the soft moss and leaves, learning how to walk, how to run, how to climb quickly and silently. It had taken us forever, and my lady had refused to tell me where we were going.

Eventually, the tree-line had given way to a near-still river, smooth grey boulders parting the waters here and there, silver fish flickering in the depths. Both of us had taken a seat on one of the soft stones, the goddess clutching one of her spears, my trousers rolled up to the knee and my jacket on the shore, letting my feet dangle in the cool water. After weeks, I was seeing water, seeing a river, hearing sounds that weren't leaves rustling and animals among the branches. When I looked up – as I did, leaning back on my hands – I could see the sky, unimpeded.

This place, that my patron called Otherworld, was strange. During my time here, there had been no wind, no night, no day. It never grew hotter, or colder, it never rained. I barely needed to sleep, I didn't need to eat or drink, I didn't sweat, I didn't need to relieve myself. I saw no animals or birds unless the Morrigan took me hunting with her. I'd seen no one but the war goddess.

After all this time, I was still no closer to understanding where I was - or how I'd gotten here.

But my training was going well. My body flowed with Power, the dark magic mixing with my blood, giving me permanent speed, sight, strength. I was fit and toned, able to run without pause for miles if my lady wanted a particular stag, able to fight easily with a heavy blade, and I'd never felt better in my life. I was physically stronger than I'd ever been: and it worked, just as the goddess said it would. I no longer shook with the after-effects of Using, I no longer felt pain after a magical duel – my body was able to cope.

I swallowed back tears. I was happier here than I'd ever been, and for all the strangeness in the situation the Morrigan had become something between a mother and a sister to me. When I was so desperate for another human face I cried, she held me until the tears stopped. When I woke up sweating from nightmares of my fight with Caleb, she was there, a cool hand on my forehead, calming me with a spell. When I broke down, terrified at the notion of losing my sanity, my life, she said nothing, just listened as I poured it all out, or pointed the way when I needed to spill blood, when I needed to lose myself in the pounding of my heart in my ears as I ran, faster and faster until I blurred, until I slaughtered a king stag among one of the shadowed herds, bringing back his antlers for my lady.

She was there for me, as no one else had ever been. If she pushed me hard, than she knew my limits, and helped me move them further and further away until it seemed like I was invincible, until I climbed the tallest fir I could find just so I could scream my wild joy to the stars, laughing with pure happiness. She knew when something scared me, knew when to cry with me or hold me, make me laugh or walk away or drag me out for a hunt.

I wanted to stay, here, with her, forever. Train with her, for the rest of my life. Feel the ecstasy of the Dark Song under my skin forever more as I trained with the goddess of war.

But it couldn't happen. I closed my eyes against the memories of our conversation.

"Little mageling," she'd sighed, when I told her, told her how I wanted to stay in Otherworld for the rest of my life. "I would gladly keep you here, somewhere between a servant and a brother," and I couldn't hold back a grin at that. "But your Power must be anchored, and I am too strong to be your mate. Besides the fact that my form does not please you." I'd blushed – but it was true, what was I supposed to say? "You have but a few more months here before your mind will shatter. There is only so much my training can do for you – you need a bond."

Stunned at her announcement, I'd fled, running until I just couldn't run any more, found myself so far outside our territory that I was lost, and had to wait until she realised I couldn't find my way back and came to bring me home again.

"Mageling, it is no good teaching a pupil that does not listen, is it not so?" She asked me, frowning slightly.

Hiding my thoughts, I smiled back at her. "It is so, my lady."

She nodded, smiling indulgently. "Bonds, mageling. That is our subject for today. An important one, for you."

Adjusting my seat, I cocked my head to listen to her lecture, preparing to write everything to memory. That was another thing – my memory had become almost photographic under her tutelage, spending an hour every day playing 'remembering' games with pebbles and bits of carved antler or bone.

I leaned back, letting her words wash over me as I lost myself in the sense of home.

Caleb's POV

I was seriously considering killing them. Really. The only reason they were still standing was the fact that I was panting, and wanted nothing more than to fall asleep, Reid curled up in my arms, rather than summon Power and destroy them both into ashes.

Besides the fact that, in all honesty, it wasn't really their fault.

Sighing, I leaned in to kiss Reid's cheek, a gesture that was fast becoming instinct for me, and pushed myself up on my hands and knees, smiling tenderly down at my mate for a moment.

_Come on, sleepy-head, _I teased, noticing his eyelids falling. _It'll be easier if we do this together._

_It'll be even _easier_ if _you_ just do it,_ the Peace-Keeper murmured inside my head sleepily, and I wanted to hug him tight, cursing myself that I'd decided to come here. Why was that, again?

_I'm not sure, but whatever the reason it was _not worth it! Reid growled, forcing himself into a sitting position as I pulled back to give him enough room to get up. _All right all right – I'm up! _

A red stain painting my face, I turned my head to glance at Pogue and Tyler.

It could have been worse. Tyler looked unsurprised, which I should have been expecting, really – he was even sitting back down on the sofa, resting his elbow on his knee, head in hand. Pogue, also sitting back down – though more likely because he was stunned, and not because he was accepting – looked as though I'd just announced I was Chase reincarnated or something; jaw dropped, though quickly clicking shut, blush burning, eyes wide.

Could have been worse.

I gave Reid my hand, helping him to his feet, teasingly tugging too hard so that he landed in my arms, his cheeks staining the most delicious shade of red I'd ever seen. Just as I thought that, another silken thread, glowing sapphire, wound out from my heart to his, weaving in with the others, filling me with warmth the moment it came into contact with his skin. I shivered at the sensation – _beautiful _– but opened my eyes again to walk across the room, sitting both me and my mate down on the opposite sofa.

"Pogue, do stop gawking," Tyler teased him, putting on a 'posh' accent, suddenly, his head coming up to grin at us, setting Reid at ease at once, the stiffness melting away from his form. "I _did_ explain all of this to him, guys," he told us in a conspiratorial whisper, "but it would seem he's forgotten exactly what that entails."

I laughed as Pogue glared at the youngest Son, throwing his hands up in the air in defeat as he took a seat, overly dramatic to lighten the awkward atmosphere.

Serious again, Tyler looked at me and Reid, his eyes focussing on my hand resting on his thigh, unconsciously placed, tracing the marks on my mate's chest with his eyes, backing off as I growled, only now realising that the delicious treat Reid had presented me with this morning was being displayed to these two others, and my mate was _mine_, for _no one else! _

With a flash of Power, the buttons on his shirt did themselves up, neatly and easily, and after a surprised look down at himself he glared at me.

_I _can_ do my own buttons, you know, _he pointed out, smirking.

_I seem to remember you had some difficulty this morning…_I reminded him, trailing off suggestively, smirking myself as he blushed again, and I found myself wondering about how far that blush extended…

"Seeing as you two are _obviously _wanting to get back to your rooms," Tyler interrupted our mental conversation, grinning, "I'll just cut to the chase and tell you what you need to know, okay?"

I smiled gratefully, leaning forward so my hands rested between my knees, switching my mind so it would remember everything he said in the next hour, a useful trick he'd taught me years ago. There was a reason I managed good marks, and it wasn't because I listened in class – I just memorised the books or the lectures Tyler gave us afterwards.

Reid reached out for my hand, which I gave up with a mental grin, letting him play with my fingers as Tyler spoke.

Chase's POV

"There are two kinds of bonds between Users," the Morrigan told me, absently trailing her fingers through the water as she spoke. "There is a natural mate-bond, between Alpha and Peace-Keeper, and there is a construct, or secondary bond. A natural bond will begin with the first step of the Power's intimacy – the Marking. You know this from our lessons."

I nodded, listening carefully, storing everything she said. Of everything she'd taught me, this was what I truly needed to survive.

Caleb's POV

"A natural mate-bond has to be very carefully constructed," Tyler continued, flipping a coin he'd pulled from somewhere between his fingers, the movement slightly hypnotic. "Again, it's a caution to prove to your Power that there hasn't been a mistake, that the emotion-magic is working." Seeing my frown, and Reid's cocked head to my side, he explained. "By proving to each other that you won't go 'too fast' for the bond, and thus, each other, you're proving that you truly care about each other."

I nodded, memorising the information. This was important.

Chase's POV

"If two natural-mates go too fast, bypassing the 'safe number' of threads to a step – for example, going to the Touch before their bond has ten threads – then the bond's magic becomes corrupted. The magic that is supposed to be love mutates instead into lust and possessiveness."

The goddess of war grinned at me, her hand flicking an arch of water into the air, the diamond star-light from the sky creating an iridescent rainbow. "It is this that we shall use to our advantage."

Caleb's POV

"A construct bond is a secondary bond," Tyler told us, looking up with worried eyes. "It only ever occurs if the first bond, the natural mate-bond, becomes corrupted and breaks."

My head shot up. "Why would it ever break?" I asked sharply. I wanted Reid safe – and that could only happen when our natural mate-bond was finished. A broken one would do neither of us any good.

"It almost never happens," he assured me. "The Book records that it's only ever happened twice."

"But how _does_ it happen?" I asked again, softer, letting my eyes darken in warning. _Don't play games with me._

He saw it, and swallowed nervously. "Sometimes…Sometimes the bond gets corrupted. Badly. Generally," he glanced to Reid for a moment, "generally by the Peace-Keeper, who doesn't have the same needs for the bond to work as the Alpha does, so he doesn't realise the importance of going slowly."

He sighed. "Your bond will get stronger with everything you do for each other, even if it becomes harder to create new threads. Again, that's to make sure the bond's working. You have to show how much you care by doing more and more for each other.

"But it works both ways."

Chase's POV

"With every angry or destructive emotion, a thread will weaken or snap."

I grinned, plans already forming in my mind, images and ideas flowing behind my permanently dark eyes. "I see how that could work."

She wagged a finger, shaking her head teasingly. "Ah, little mageling. Wait for all the knowledge to be given to you before you make your plans."

Contrite, I bowed my head, letting her go on.

"There has never been an abusive Alpha, since they are the ones that truly _need_ the bond. It is they who will be destroyed if they are left ungrounded – much like yourself," she commented. "Because of this, if there _was_ one, an Alpha who abused his mate…"

"No one would know how to deal with it…" I breathed, seeing her genius.

She nodded, a smirk stretching across her features. "Exactly."

I frowned as something occurred to me. "But Caleb…" we had figured out that Caleb _had_ to be this generation's Alpha, being the strongest – naturally, at least – of the five of us. _Not with my two shares of strength – not with my training._ "He'll never abuse any of them, whichever one's the 'Keeper. He's too good."

"Again, you are like the hawk-nestling. Learn to walk before you fly." She scolded me, before continuing. "Of course, you are correct. Caleb will never _naturally_ be abusive – no Alpha will. Thus, I will teach you emotion-magic."

I perked up at that, interested. "Emotion-magic?"

"Yes," she nodded. "One form of this is the natural mate-bond – or at least, that is part of it. A bond of any kind, in fact, creates feelings of love between the two bonded. However, it is very easy to manipulate emotions – and thus, bonds – if you know how it is done.

"For example," she continued, tossing a shining-wet pebble into the air and catching it again, "if you wished too, you could corrupt Caleb's mate-bond on your own, as an outside influence. However, this would alert the Covenant to your presence, which should be kept secret for as long as possible. Instead, you shall case a spell on _Caleb_, not the bond, letting him to the corrupting for you."

Caleb's POV

"Okay, so we don't rush it," Reid stated, like it was obvious. "What's with a secondary bond, though?" He even sounded interested – the idea that he was listening to a lecture made me grin.

"A secondary bond occurs between the Alpha and the next User he has…well, that he kisses, basically."

I blinked. "What?!"

Tyler sighed. "If the original bond is broken, an Alpha's Power assumes that the Peace-Keeper has rejected the bond, even if that's not what actually happened. So it goes looking for someone else, because it _needs_ grounding, or the Alpha will die within a few hours. Because it's so urgent, the Power takes complete control, leaving an Alpha's mind buried somewhere," _the Dark Place, _I thought, "and goes seeking for another."

Pogue leaned forward to ask a question. "Don't take this the wrong way, guys," he told Reid and me, "but if that's what happens with a secondary bond, why doesn't it happen the first time round? Why is there a special Player to be an Alpha's mate?"

"Because a secondary bond is different." Tyler explained. "An Alpha's Power think's the Alpha has been rejected, and that's why the mate-bond has been broken. So it changes – with the secondary bond, the Alpha is the submissive one in the bond, instead of the other way around. His Power think's that's the only way to be accepted."

I rested my head in my hands, taking my left one back from Reid. "Gods, this is complicated."

I heard a weak grin in Reid's voice. "Isn't it worth it, though?"

I mock-groaned. "Don't be getting all sappy on me Reid. Seriously. I might just have to show you how bad an idea that is." Because it most definitely _was_ worth it, and I wouldn't mind showing him why…

Chase's POV

"We should make our way home, mageling," The Morrigan murmured, hours later.

I nodded slowly. This day had been perfect – but learning how to create a bond with Caleb reminded me that, one day soon, I would have to leave my haven.

I didn't want that day to ever arrive.


	10. Sarah's Choice

_**Hey guys! Sorry it took so long – this was a hard chapter to write. I don't know if I managed to get Sarah's 'voice' right, but I tried, I tried. No more until 43 reviews! I have enabled anonymous reviews now, people, so you don't have an excuse anymore! **_

_**Now. I hope everything so far has not confused anyone – if it has, please feel free to message me. Also, I have some questions I would like answered, if you would.**_

_**First – I noticed that only a third of people who read the prologue move onto the second chapter. Why is this? I realise anyone reading this has passed the prologue, but maybe you guys can figure it out. I can't. ???**_

_**Second – I have decided to have a second pairing in this story. Some of you will know who I am planning on getting together – NOT Tyler and Sarah, which might be guessed from the ending of this chapter – and. I have two ideas for the ending of this story. Reid and Caleb WILL have a happy-ever-after – I'm a sucker for happy endings – BUT. I can write the second pairing with a tragic ending, or a happy one. Be warned – if we do the happy ending for THEM, I have the beginnings of a sequel worked out. **_

_**SO – tragic ending for 2**__**nd**__** pairing Darkness Lives Inside Us All, and, while I might write more Covenant fiction, this AU will be done. **_

_**Happy ending for 2**__**nd**__** pairing Sequel. **_

_**Cast your votes, people!!!**_

_Chapter Nine – Sarah's Choice_

Caleb's POV

The sunlight dances over my eyelids, and I stretch luxuriously, grinning to myself as parts of me ache deliciously.

Turning onto my side, I look down at the golden haired bad-boy beside me, his face calm in sleep, and the now-five threads that join us: gold, ruby, violet, sapphire, and emerald, silken cords that glowed with inner light, sparkling, something infinitely precious. It brought me up short, thinking of how lucky I was to be part of something so special.

The sobriety of my attitude vanished into smug satisfaction as I thought back on how these particular threads had been created.

After our conversation with Tyler on Saturday, I'd resolved to be the best mate I could for Reid. That went from bringing him breakfast in bed on Sunday morning – yesterday – to teasing him to climax three times last night, using everything my Power gave me, every instinct, to flood his mind with pleasure until he screamed. I'd been rather pleased with myself – though I couldn't say I'd _only_ done it for Reid; having my incredibly aroused mate writhing under me, his eyes white stars with climax, was a serious turn-on.

But I'd been careful not to go too far, even when I couldn't think, my mind dissolved into lightning. No matter how much I wanted it, I didn't Touch and didn't Take.

On Saturday, Pogue and Reid had gone to the kitchen for a minute to get us something to eat, and I'd quietly asked Tyler exactly what was meant by Touch – since I guessed quite easily that Taking meant actual sex.

He'd blushed like hell, but told me anyway – we both knew that my not-knowing could potentially corrupt the bond between Reid and I. 'Touch' meant any skin-to-skin contact with a cock, Reid's or mine. Through cloth was okay – I mentally sighed with relief, remembering with a faint blush – but no actual touching.

It was hard to stick to, but I swore I'd do it. I wanted Reid safe, and happy, and if I had to wait…then I had to wait.

"Morning, Caleb," Reid murmured, and I was jolted out of my thoughts at the sight of his blue eyes looking back at me, his hand on my cheek, his thumb moving over my cheekbone softly, back-and-forth and back-and-forth, making me close my eyes as the sensation flooded through me.

I felt his smirk through our bond, and he gently took his hand away, making my eyes flicker open again, tinged dark. "No, come on, lover-boy. Its school today – we don't have time for any messing around." I pouted playfully, the Power leaving my eyes, replaced with silent laughter.

"As you please, darling," I teased, swinging the covers back and my legs over onto the floor, "but you're going nowhere until I get my morning kiss." I leaned over him, pressing my mouth gently to his, cupping his head with my hand.

Soft and sweet. He gave a little sigh as I pulled away, smiling tenderly, before he completely broke the mood by mock-groaning.

"Caleb, _please_ tell me you're not going to act like we're married?" He closed his eyes as if horrified. "Seriously. Because I'm all for love and all, but I like teenage lust too."

I grinned, standing up and heading for the shower, grabbing a blue towel from the back of a chair, pausing with my hand on the door-handle. "Join me?"

His eyes darkened to raven-wing black, but he shook his head regretfully. "Don't think so, lover-boy," he murmured, getting out of bed himself now, tempting me with his indecently bare chest.

Cocking my head, I frowned – not at his decline, which I was expecting, but at his sadness. "What's wrong?"

He just looked at me for a moment, before I heard his voice in my head. _I really, really want to, Caleb, but we both know we won't keep our hands to ourselves. I don't want to risk it._

I snorted. _That's bull, Reid. That's not what's got you upset. _

He glared at me, struggling with himself, before giving in. _Fine. It's…it's Sarah, all right?_

Now I was _really _confused. _How does it have anything to do with Sarah? _

Again, I felt his struggle, conflicting emotions sliding through the bond, flickering and changing too fast for me to understand. _It's just…She's going to be at school today, expecting to see you, for you to…to still be her boyfriend. She thinks you're going to walk in and everything'll be like it used to be, with the evil mage gone and dead and _her_ white-magic Prince Charming alive and well, and everything'll be perfect, like in a fairy-tale. And, even though I don't really _like_ her…I feel sorry for her. Because all her expectations are wrong, and we're going to walk in there and have to explain to her that, actually…You're going to go insane if you're not with me, so…_bye-bye_, little Sarah. _

He looked at me, meeting my eyes for a moment, and I wanted to hug his sorrow away. _I just don't want to make it worse. I mean, we've been together not even, really, two days, and I've been further with you than she has. I've got more of a bond – literally – with you than she ever had. I don't want to walk in there and be thinking 'I was screwing your boyfriend in his bedroom this morning before school'. You know? _

I stood, stunned, the towel clutched in my hand forgotten. _I didn't think of any of that. _

And I hadn't. I'd been so wrapped up in Reid, in the perfect ecstasy of my Power's completion, the inner calm now that it was tamed, in the taste and feel of my mate, that I hadn't spared a thought for the human girl who was waiting for me. What was she going to think? To her, I'd abandoned her in an instant. And, from an outsider's point of view, that was exactly what I'd done even if I hadn't had any choice in the matter.

_But_, I thought to myself, looking over at my mate, _I wouldn't have made a different choice if I had. _

I felt the mental brush of a kiss through our bond. _Thanks, Caleb,_ Reid whispered softly.

Smiling at him, I took a step into the bathroom, thoughts churning through my mind.

Reid's POV

I took a shower in the bathroom down the hall, taking a towel from my bag since Caleb hadn't had a chance to show me around the Denvers Manor yet – meaning I had no idea where to go to get one.

His mother had had a long discussion with both my parents and it had been agreed that I was to move in with Caleb. I grinned at the thought of how difficult it was for kids not part of the Covenant to move in with their partners – whereas with an Alpha and 'Keeper, it was the accepted and normal thing to do: not to mention the whole 'for the greater good' stuff again.

Today, I'd be clearing out my dorm room at the school. I was a bit sad about having to leave – I'd enjoyed sharing a room with Tyler, baby-boy being hilariously easy to tease and wind-up but smart enough to be fun – but it was more than made up for by having Caleb all to myself all night.

By the time I came back, Caleb was dressed and gone, leaving a little note on his desk. I snorted, while inwardly grinning. If he ever had to go for a minute he always left these little notes everywhere – yesterday morning, in case I'd woken up while he was making my breakfast, at lunch, when he went to the library to look for something when I went to the bathroom. I complained that he coddled me, but secretly treasured each one. And, with our mental link, he knew that, no matter how many times I told him I wasn't a girl, simply smirking when I went into a tirade about it.

So I'd shut up.

Reaching for a shirt from my suitcase, shoved full of stuff from my room at the Garwin Manor, I picked up the pearl-white paper.

Hey Reid,

I've just gone downstairs for breakfast – if you can't remember where to go, call me through the bond and I'll come find you.

Oh, and the maids are back today, so you don't have to settle for my burnt toast!

Caleb.

Grinning, I put it back down, doing up my shirt with a quick flick of Power and pulling on my trousers. While his breakfast-in-bed had been a sweet gesture…he'd burnt the toast. Badly. With the result that he'd gotten so frustrated with my laughter that he'd gone back downstairs, made more with Power to get them perfectly golden, _even_ spread them with honey…and then dropped both slices on the floor.

He'd given up and made me sausages and bacon instead – to the soundtrack of yet more of my laughter.

Checking my hair once more in the wardrobe mirror and pulling on my fingerless gloves – technically against school uniform, but being a Son of Ipswich let you get away with just about anything – I swung my school bag onto my back and made my way to the dining room.

After a few wrong turns I found Caleb and his mom talking over breakfast in the wood-panelled dining room, sitting at a long, polished-oak table that looked more suited for Covenant gatherings than an informal breakfast. It was much more comfortable eating in the kitchen, but Caleb had told me how his mother preferred sticking to etiquette during the week.

Taking a seat beside my mate and Alpha – who shot me a warm smile before returning to the conversation – I helped myself to sausage, bacon, and not-burned toast, complete with little pats of butter. Silently, I snorted. _I thought you only got these in hotels?_

Giving no outward sign that we were talking – I was impressed that he could talk out loud while speaking to me like this – he answered, _um, _no_. Doesn't your family have them?_

_No,_ I told him, smirking. _We have butter dishes, like _normal_ people._

It was his turn to snort. _Darling, we are _not_ normal people, in case the last lifetime just passed your notice. _

_Whatever_. I bit into the toast, the golden honey mixing with the liquidated butter, closing my eyes in simple pleasure at the taste. With my eyes closed I can feel a trail of hot honey dripping down my chin, and, unthinkingly, I dart out my tongue to lap it up.

I feel Caleb tense beside me, his knuckles white on his silver fork, his eyes firmly on his plate. Cocking my head in silent question, I lick up the drop of gold, the sweet taste swirling on my tongue before vanishing.

A wave of pure lust crashes through the bond, and I freeze, startled, shocked, as the tidal wave of emotion roils through me, making my eyes darken as I start to respond to Caleb's want, even as I struggle not to.

_What the hell, Caleb?!_ I send him, confusion and need twining through my mind-voice.

In reply, I get an image, and I almost choke: Caleb pushing his chair over as he stands, grabbing my wrists and twisting so I crash onto the table on my back, sending plates and dishes clattering to the floor, my Alpha lying on top of me, growling, eyes dark as obsidian, my wrists pinned as his mouth and hips press to mine, thrusting, tasting, the sensations blending, mixing, a confused hot storm of feeling whirling through me until –

_Fuck! _I scream in my head, closing my eyes as they flash bright-white, and I know he hears me, because as I cry out the light from his eyes falls on his plate through slit eye-lids, blinding-bright, and I can't _believe_ I just came at the Denvers breakfast table…And, oh-god – in front of my mate's mother! Fuck! I can only pray she didn't see our eyes…

_You mean the blinding white flashes? _That sarcastic inner voice from before asks, and I can almost feel it rolling its eyes.

_Shut up! _I snarl at it, blushing with exertion and embarrassment.

_I didn't say anything! _Caleb says, confused, trying to meet my eyes, but I'm avoiding his gaze.

_Not you…_I murmur, picking up my fork again. _And, did you _have_ to do that? _

_Do what?_

_Think that at me! _

He looks confused for a second, before understanding dawns. _Oh crap…I didn't mean to send you that. _

I roll my eyes, pushing my chair back. _Yeah, whatever… _"Thanks Mrs. Denvers," I say out loud, picking up my plate to take it to the kitchen, but she gestures for me to put it back down.

"The maids will get it, Reid, don't worry," she says, smiling at me. "Caleb, are you finished?"

He nods, standing alongside me. "Yeah. See you after school," he throws over his shoulder as he leads me out of the dining room.

The moment we're out of sight he hugs me, his arms coming around my waist. "Hey…you don't really think I'd embarrass you on purpose like that, right?"

I shrug, fighting back tears, because it _was_ incredibly embarrassing and there's a part of me that's mad at him, and another part that's mad at the part that's mad, that just wants to kiss and make up.

Which must be what Caleb's feeling too, 'cause that's exactly what he does, his mouth soft and gentle on mine, his hand running up my spine, making me shiver, to cup the back of my head and lean me back, coaxing a whimper out of me as his lips trail to my ear, hot and wet.

"I'd never, ever do that," he whispers, his breath making me gasp as his tongue darts out to taste the secret skin behind my ear. "Never. Okay?"

I can't speak so I just nod, my hands coming up around his neck, murmuring wordless noises as his mouth keeps working.

I feel him grin against the skin of my throat, before he gently pulls away. "Good. Now come on – we have to get to school."

Taking my hand and swinging his bag onto his shoulder – after offering to take mine, which I decline – we walk out to his car.

And there's one more thread, a shining, shimmering amber cord that links us both.

Pogue's POV

Caleb and Reid pull up just as I'm locking up my bike, Tyler talking to me, leaning on the wall, bag at his feet. Reid, the nutter, grins and swings over the car door as Caleb brakes, landing lightly on his feet to saunter over to Tyler and I.

I roll my eyes, grinning at Caleb as he opens the car door, and do a double take at just how happy he looks. I've never seen him like this – like there's nothing in his world that can ever, ever go wrong, like everything is perfect. And…there's a calmness to him, and to his Power, that wasn't there before, that I didn't notice on Saturday, too wrapped up in all this talk of bonds and mates and Players.

I clap him on the shoulder, bending down to pick up my bag, and without a word we all walk towards the school. I say without a word – Reid's going on about the swimming practice we have after school, Caleb's listening to him, Tyler's rolling his eyes and grinning at me over Reid's antics, nodding his head at Reid whenever the conversation calls for it.

I hang back for a second as the others walk through the door, laying my hand on the smooth stone, fighting a flash back. I haven't told the others about them yet – about how I can't go that fast on my bike, can't go to Nicky's, can't go _anywhere_ I've seen Chase, and it doesn't matter that he's dead, that my mind _knows_ he doesn't exist anymore – and unlike Caleb, I don't feel bad about it – my body is scared.

I hate it. Hate that I wake up in a sweat, convinced I've just crashed again, that Chase is standing over me with midnight eyes, still able to feel his spell that kept me down, the weakness I couldn't fight, that was _wrong_.

"Hey."

I whirl but it's just Caleb, his satchel on his shoulder, hair already mussed up. Concern shines out of his eyes, but he doesn't say anything. We both know I'd deny there was anything wrong. I just can't tell him, can't burden him with this too. I'll get over it.

He nods towards the others. "Come on, we've gotta get to class."

I nod, and it's easier walking in with him – I feel safer. Not like I guess Reid does – not like that. But – protected. If that's the right word.

Memories of Chase don't bother me as we make our way to History.

Caleb's POV

History's a bore – all four of us know far more than this teacher will ever tell us, having each memorised the History of the Covenant, which stretches back to before America's colonisation, each of us knowing exactly when our family discovered the Power, even if we're not sure _how. _

It annoys the hell out of our teachers that none of us listen to the lectures – don't even take notes – and yet we're all top-grade students.

It's not just Power that flows through our lines – intelligence tends to pass down too.

We take our usual places in the lecture hall – me up at the top, Tyler and Reid about halfway down and to my left, Pogue sitting with Kate two rows from the floor and far off to the left. Pogue used to sit with me, but recently I've been left on my own. I've spread my stuff pointedly across Pogue's old seat, giving a clear message to the rest of the class – _don't sit here. I don't want a new friend._

I'm already bored as the guy starts, flicking through my textbook in an effort not to do something stupid, just to liven things up.

_You okay up there, lover-boy? Not getting all lonely _already? Reid's voice teases in my head, laughter behind his words, and I can easily imagine the grinning smile that decorates his face right now.

_And if I am? _I purr, more to see him twitch than anything else.

The class continues like that for the next hour, and by the time he lets us go I'm ready to just Use and kill the idiot, frustrated beyond reason at the mistakes and idiotic misunderstandings he's trying to make us learn. More than that, I've spent the entire lesson Reid-watching, which is fast becoming my new hobby. It's driving me nuts – I can smell him from up here, where my Power can flow through me, improving my senses, without anyone seeing the black eyes. I can see him, the glint of the lights on his hair, the smooth paleness of his skin, his darting fingers as he passes a note to Tyler, and it's making me breathless. Each flick of his hair, turn of his head, tap of his fingers on the desk at this boredom – I notice each one and can barely stop myself from going down there, humans be damned, and…

The second I can, I get down to where Reid and Tyler aren't even out of their seats yet, Reid giving a lecture of his own – on the finer points of paper-plane making.

Even if his words are ridiculous, just standing beside him, waiting for the two of them to get up and come to top-set Maths, calms me back down, soothes the raw Power and need in me and makes it sleep.

I sigh in relief, and then I'm back, and normal, and tugging my mate up from his chair with laughter in my eyes, pulling him in for a sweet kiss, needing this after an hour apart, feeling him melt as I caress his lips with my tongue, whimpering. I kiss his brow gently before pulling away, fully in control again. I needed that.

Tyler's completely unfazed, and there's no one else in here. Which reminds me…

"Guys, come _on!_ You two are the last ones out. Can we _please_ get a move on?"

Reid rolls his eyes at the Youngest, before leaping over two rows of chairs, landing with a twirl so he faces me, blowing a cheeky kiss before jumping the rest of the stairs to land on the floor.

"Can we _please_ get a move on?" He calls up, teasing me again with my own words, and I can't help laughing at his antics, gladly following him out the door to first-break and then Maths.

I've never been so happy in my life.

Reid's POV

He catches me eventually, tripping me up with a soft breath of Power and catching me so I'm in his arms again, both of us laughing and slightly breathless, not with the run-and-chase but with the want to kiss each other after it, not able to because we're surrounded by stupid humans.

I have to remember to ask him if he's okay with going public. I'm not sure I really mind, but what can any of these mortals do? To _us_, Ipswich's four?

Absolutely nothing. Just the way we like it.

Caleb sets me back on my feet, gently, carefully, as if I might break if he plays rough with me. Even as I raise my eyebrow pointedly, I'm loving it. He _cares_ – how could I not love that?

It's a fifteen minute break that goes too fast, the four of us laughing at a table in the canteen, Pogue head-locking the Youngest and messing up his hair as Tyler yelps, my laughter cut off as I feel Caleb's teasing palm on my thigh.

So _dead, Denvers! _I gasp, even as I'm laughing again as he offers me a bite of his apple, sharp-scented and bright green, like something out of a fairy-tale. But it's the red apple that poisons Snow-White, so I take a bite, feeling the golden crunch between my teeth and Caleb's fingertips against the corners of my mouth where he holds his snack, letting the sweet juice run over my lips as I lap it up, grinning apologetically even as I smirk across our bond at him.

And then it's time for Maths, another hour of trying to distract myself from my mate's presence above me, my body restless and my Power struggling to fill my eyes, and it's so hard to fight it, knowing that it won't age me, not yet, knowing what it feels like, to give up to it and just let it flow.

But I don't – because I don't want Caleb to be disappointed in me anymore. I'm not sure when it happened, but I've changed on the inside. The last two days have been so much more than perfect I can't describe them, all my worries and petty frustrations wiped away, vanished like crystal snowflakes in the sun. Just being in the same _room_ as Caleb calms me down, makes me feel safe and secure, like there's nothing in the world that can hurt me.

And it's so romantic and cliché it's embarrassing, but…he's perfect. I don't know why I used to fight him at every turn, causing chaos whenever I could. I don't remember my reasoning, can't understand my thoughts back then. It doesn't make sense, and I'm kind of glad, because if it did I'd still be like that.

Tyler sends me a questioning look as I smile to myself, just so happy that I can't _not_ show it, and I don't really care that he grins knowingly at me, flicking his head up at Caleb behind us questioningly. I nod, and he rolls his eyes, still grinning, before bending over his textbook, pencil in hand, but I really can't care about any stupid maths question right now.

We replay what's fast becoming a ritual as the bell goes to let us out, Pogue and Kate waving to us as they leave with the rest of the class, Tyler, Caleb and I packing our stuff away as slowly as possible, and I can just _barely _handle the growing expectation, the growing pull through the bond, the tension in the threads that begs me to run up to Caleb, to feel the incomparable pleasure of soul-surrender again, that feeling that I'm fast becoming addicted to.

The braid of threads hums gently as Caleb walks down to us, leaning gracefully against the desk as he waits for us, rolling his eyes as I purposefully go as slowly as possible, trying to see how long either of us can last so close to each other after an hour apart.

Not long – after another half a minute Caleb, laughing breathlessly, pulls me out of my seat, a little too hard so I almost fall on him, crashing into his chest.

Not that either of us has a problem with that. Ignoring poor Tyler, who's probably almost traumatised by now, Caleb's arms come round my waist and my hands find his neck, writing my name over and over on his flushed skin as though to claim him, as if to warn any pathetic human that I'll fight for him – and I'll _win_. He groans softly, making me smirk, before his mouth meets mine and I completely melt.

I could stay like this forever, I think, his hands warm and heavy on my hips, his mouth caressing, warm, just a little wet, the vibrations running through our glowing threads as the bond snaps back into place, the strain from our separation dissolving into nothing, Caleb's hot breath in my mouth as his tongue runs teasingly over mine, making me whimper, my legs going weak, and when he backs off gently, he's grinning.

I don't bother trying to take it back – yeah, Reid Garwin actually _whimpered_, has done for a few days now, actually, didn't you hear? Old news, darling.

God, I'm talking to myself again. That can't be healthy. Right?

"You two coming to lunch?" Caleb asks us, and I glance over to find that Tyler's ready and waiting, a slight blush staining his cheeks as he tries to avoid meeting my eyes. I smirk at him – not that he sees it, but it's the point of the thing.

We both nod, me swinging my bag onto my shoulder, and we make our way back to the canteen again, leaving our bags in the hallway near the lockers, where everyone dumps them. I can see Pogue in the queue up ahead, and I wave, grinning like a little kid. He said something to Kate, rolling his eyes before waving back at me, over-the-top to look stupid.

_What are you doing? _Caleb asked, amused, his eyes glancing between Pogue and me. It only makes sense to ask me this way because it's so loud in here I wouldn't hear him otherwise.

_Just waving to Pogue_, I answered, mock-defensive. _Look, I got him to wave back! He looked so stupid – it was hilarious. _I turned my full attention back to my mate. _Not, however, as stupid as you would look…Wave to him for me? _I pouted, batting my eyelashes to make him laugh – which worked. I stored that information away for another time.

_Uh uh._

_Awww…_I pouted again. _Pleeeeease? _

He shook his head, grinning. _I have this little thing called _pride_, Reid. Usually, you do too – I'm wondering where you left it 'cause I've never seen you bat your eyelashes before! _

I choose not to answer that, making him laugh, which earns us some rather odd looks – since to anyone else, Caleb just laughed at nothing. I have to bite my tongue not to burst out laughing as my mate just gives them all the _do I _look_ like I care? _look, raising an eyebrow in the epitome of class.

Whatever.

When we finally got our trays – lunch is pizza today, a very good choice, if I say so myself – we walked over to where Pogue was sitting with Kate in a corner, the perfect place for the Sons to eat, seeing as there was a clear space around it, an area people avoided. I wasn't sure why, but I couldn't say I cared.

"Hey Kate," I said as I took my seat, smiling at her with a warmth I rarely gave to a normal human, grinning inwardly at her surprise. I'll give her this, though – she covered it quickly, smiling in return.

"Hi Reid," she replied, stealing a chip off Pogue's plate with a teasing grin at said boyfriend. "So what's got you so sunny today?"

I'm not sure how to answer, that, really, so I just wave my hand in a general gesture, saying airily, "Oh, this and that."

Caleb sits down beside me, Tyler taking the place beside Pogue and opposite me. _So I'm just 'this and that', then, am I? _

I rolled my eyes at my pizza. _What was I supposed to say?_

He sent me an image of him nuzzling the back of my neck, the warm breath blowing gently through the soft hairs running down my spine, making me close my eyes, leaning my head back into the imaginary touch. _Hmm…You might have a point. _

"Chip?"

I blinked my eyes open, confused and disorientated. "What?"

Caleb, laughter in his eyes, explains the reasoning behind the chip extended towards me, held lightly between his graceful fingers. "You only got pizza, for some weird reason, and I know you love chips. So, do you want one or not?"

None of the others watch this exchange – Pogue and Tyler because they're already getting used to it, Kate because she no doubt thinks I'll just take it and the conversation will go on.

Her head shoots up, though, as I take it between my teeth, delicately, making sure my lips brush against his fingers, loving the liquid darkness that spills over into his eyes, quickly gone as he remembers Kate is still here, and watching.

But she didn't see – her eyes are fixed, wide-eyed, on me, my fingers coming up to hold aforementioned chip in my mouth as I munch thoughtfully, cocking my head at her expression, as if to say – _Yes? _

Her gaze darts between the two of us, and you can almost hear her mind working, before it clicks, and she smiles at us both, turning to Pogue to whisper something in his ear. I watch as the Warrior stifles a grin, darting a question to Caleb with his eyes, whispering back to his girlfriend as our Alpha nods.

I roll my eyes at the pair of them – they're like little kids, whispering together in a corner – literally!

But then Kate's expression falls, and I frown, wondering what's been said. I'm not really worried – after Chase, Pogue explained everything to her, which was why Caleb didn't really need to hide his dark eyes a minute ago. Pogue's father cast a spell on her so she can't tell anyone – a weak Binding, I think, something they don't teach you until you Ascend. Pogue only has a few more weeks to go, the lucky thing. There's two months before it's my turn, and three weeks after that its Tyler's go.

_She's probably just thought of Sarah, _I realised with a pang, immediately looking around for the blonde girl, guilty that I hadn't thought of her since this morning. I really did feel bad for her, but I refused to give Caleb up. Even if he _wouldn't _go insane without me, now I've had a taste – so to speak, pun intended – there was no way in hell I would, or even _could,_ walk away.

It wasn't happening.

As if my thoughts had summoned her, Sarah set her tray on the table with a soft bang, plastic on plastic, making me jump as she sat down.

"Oh, sorry Reid," she smiled, apologetic even as I closed my eyes not to snarl – not at her appearance, but at the way she cuddled up to Caleb unthinkingly. I wasn't the only one – it must be something similar to pack instincts, because Pogue and Tyler both stiffened too.

She glanced around at us, confused. "Are you guys ok?"

I nodded jerkily, trying to hold back the storm of Power I knew was raging in my eyes, all thought of _It's not her fault _dying in an instant, a quick and painless death. If I spoke, I was going to lose control in front of all these humans, even if Kate and Sarah were initiates to our secrets.

Some of them, anyway.

Pushing away my tray, I stood up, almost bowled over by the sudden physical pain that's running through me, a sharp, all-encompassing ache that makes me want to fall to the ground screaming, that I _know_ would vanish the instant I Used, but I can't, I _can't_.

"I'll see you guys later," I muttered, turning and running out of the canteen, brushing back tears as I bite my tongue, hard enough to draw blood, and I still don't feel anything past this agony as I head for the library, not sure where else I can go.

Caleb's POV

The moment Reid's up and running I stand unthinkingly, ready to run after him, to give him the comfort I know he needs, desperate that he knows I care, that he knows I'm there for him. I don't want him to be upset – I'm ready to do _anything _to wipe away the tears I can feel falling through our bond.

A hand on my shoulder catches me, and I whirl, snarling instinctively, my eyes pitch-black and I don't care, I don't _care_. Reid needs me, and I don't even recognise the startled blonde standing in front of me because _she's not Reid_, so I don't care, don't want her need her don't even think about her, just turn back to where I can feel Reid's tears, the feelings tugging at me urgently, desperately.

Shrugging off the hand on my jacket I run after my mate, uncaring of the confused and speculating glances I get as I run through the canteen. They don't matter.

_Reid does. _

Sarah's POV

I don't understand what just happened. Reid just ran off, almost crying, for no reason I could tell, and then Caleb stands to follow him. It makes no sense – just a week ago, he would have shrugged it off, said Reid would be back later when he'd calmed down, and he'd have been right, the Ipswich bad-boy coming back to the group in an hour or so, laughing and messing around like nothing was ever wrong.

But today it was my hand that Caleb shrugged off, not Reid. And I don't understand why.

Was it a Covenant thing? I wondered, looking back and forth between the other two Sons. They seemed pretty hostile too, today – which was weird. Pogue was always really laid back, preferring to laugh instead of fight, and Tyler…There was a reason the others called him Baby-Boy. Not that he was a wimp, but he was the little kid of the Covenant, the one that eased the tension and made everyone take care of him. He wasn't a fighter, either.

Yet both of them, when they looked up, as one, had eyes black as ink, coldness struggling with fury, and I took a step back, scared. I knew what that colour – or lack of it – meant.

Tyler's eyes faded back to normal when he saw my reaction, but Pogue just got worse, standing suddenly in an unexpected movement, whispering something quickly to Kate as he went off after the other two – not running, but pretty close. I stared after him, confused, hurt, scared.

Mostly confused.

I sat back down, slowly, looking at my fork, unable to remember what I was supposed to do with it. My hunger was gone, replaced by a worried numb feeling, my mind a whirlwind of emotion.

Tyler sighed, and I looked up, hopeful. Maybe he was going to explain things to me.

The Youngest Son stood up slowly, calmly, sending Kate and I questioning looks. "Do you guys want to go outside? I think I should explain some stuff…"

I nodded, pushing my tray away. Kate finished her slice of pizza, wiping her mouth with a napkin, before joining the two of us walking, passing through the double-doors on the right to the grounds outside.

It's sunny and quiet, most of the school inside in the canteen – we have another twenty minutes or so before people start coming outside – and Tyler leads the two of us over to some trees, sitting down with an elegance all of the Sons seem to possess, which I'm just a little bit jealous of.

Kate and I form the other two points of a triangle, neither of us saying a word or looking at each other. I've only got eyes for Tyler, as if my gaze will halt the flow of words that I know is coming, words I don't want to hear but need, somehow, to listen to.

The youngest Son has his head bowed, as if he's thinking deeply, and neither of us disturbs him, even when I start to grow impatient, antsy, unable to keep my hands still. No matter how much I tell myself there can't be much wrong, that everything's all right, it's just some Covenant thing, I can't help feeling like this, like there's a storm coming with Tyler's next breath.

Finally, he sits up straighter, running a hand absently through his hair, avoiding looking at either of us for a moment before he sighs again.

"Just _say _it already, Tyler!" Kate snaps, obviously unable to handle any more tension. "Whatever it is, it can't be that bad."

I stiffened beside her. _You're not meant to say that, _I thought, glancing at her from the corner of my eye. _You're not meant to tempt fate like that! _

"Okay," Tyler murmured, softly, meeting her eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm just not sure how to say this."

She nodded gently, appeased. "That's okay, Ty. Just say it anyway."

He took a deep breath, as if preparing himself. "I…I know you two don't really know much about the Covenant, and there's stuff the others didn't know, either, until recently."

"Stuff to do with Chase?" I guessed, my voice hopeful.

He shook his head. "No, stuff about – about _us_. See, when we Ascend, there are personas we slip into. Think characters in a role-playing game," he added, seeing my confused expression. "The Alpha, Warrior, Knower, and Peace-Keeper. There used to be the Rogue, as well, but the roles are passed down – not from father to son, or anything, but if, say, I died now, there would never be another Knower, because the role would have died with me. So, you can't really die until each of the families has an heir, so there's someone your role could potentially go to. Anyway, the last Rogue…" He frowned, thinking. "Well, the last Rogue would have been Chase's ancestor, actually…But Chase is dead now, anyway, so it doesn't matter."

Kate raised an eyebrow. "No offence, but why is this important?"

He hesitated a second. "Each role has different…attributes, I guess. The Alpha is the strongest – _really _strong. And, because he's so powerful, he needs to be…Grounded, and for that he needs a mate. It's really important – if he doesn't have one, he would lose control and kill thousands of people, including himself."

"Oh," I whispered, seeing what was coming. Or guessing, at least – which meant I could be wrong. Maybe.

Tyler glanced at me, sympathetic. "Caleb is this generation's Alpha, Sarah. I'm really sorry." And he _did_ seem sorry, like he hadn't wanted to upset me, or be the one to tell me.

But, really…I felt sad about it, but…in the end, I hadn't been with him that long. He was fun to be around. Pretty smart, hot as anything, and the whole Covenant thing was pretty cool…but…he was a crush. I would probably be upset for a few days – at the moment, I was just feeling numb – but I'd get over it.

"Couldn't Sarah be his mate?" Kate argued, bringing me out of my thoughts with a jolt.

Tyler shook his head again, more slowly. "Power grounds Power. The Alpha's mate has to be a User, one of the Covenant."

At that, I snorted. "Caleb isn't gay! Why would he have ever gone out with me if he was?"

He gave me a look that I couldn't read. "He's not gay, Sarah, he's bi. And he doesn't have a choice over it – I can't tell for sure, but I'm pretty sure he was straight when you were going out. But he Ascended on Friday night – when his Alpha instincts came to the fore. They kind of…_make_ him bi, because they know the only way for him to survive is to be grounded."

"And the only way to be grounded is to have a Covenant mate," Kate finished for him, frowning in thought. "It all sounds really weird."

Ty gave a weak smile. "Yeah, I guess it would to an outsider."

I didn't like being an _outsider_ – it was like I was an outcast, one of the un-Chosen, maybe. But it was true – I kind of _was_.

"So, what happens now?" I asked him, keeping my voice gentle. I didn't want him to think I was being the spiteful ex-girlfriend. I could cope.

"You have a…choice," he said, hesitating a moment too long before speaking. "Please don't take this the wrong way, but this is the Law – I have to ask you this question."

I frowned. "Okay."

He took a deep breath. "Sarah, you can choose to be Bound, meaning a spell will keep you from ever speaking of the Covenant to anyone outside it, or you can choose death."

I froze. "What?" I choked out.

"I'm sorry, Sarah." He looked miserable, but resigned. "I've spoken about this with the Covenant Elders, the heads of the families, because I knew Caleb wouldn't. Now that Caleb can't vouch for your trust, they've offered you the Choice of Silence – either by spell or by death. They won't risk you telling anyone about us."

"What about me?" Kate asked, softly, a little fear tingeing her voice.

He shook his head. "Don't be offended by this, but in the eyes of the Law of the Covenant, you sort of belong to Pogue. You're his responsibility. If you ever did anything, he would be punished and you would be killed."

"Oh," She whispered, staring at her hands as if she'd never seen them before. I knew how she felt – and I was just a bit jealous that she didn't face this choice, that they had, in effect, enough trust in her to leave her unbound, but not me.

_They probably think I'll be the spiteful ex, _I thought, blinking back tears. _That I'd go and tell everyone just to make things difficult for Caleb._

I'd never do that – who would listen to me, anyway? – and I hated the idea of being Bound. But it wasn't really a choice.

"I choose the spell, Tyler," I told him, proud I kept my voice level.

He nodded, slowly. "Okay. You'll get an invitation in the mail for an invite to a dinner in the next week. It'll be for one of the families. Attend it. Think of it as a goodbye dinner," he encouraged me, trying to make a bright side in the dark, "and while you're there, one of the Elders will cast the spell." He stood suddenly, making both of us flinch. "I'm sorry, Sarah. I…I mean it. I tried to convince them you wouldn't tell, but…" He shrugged, helplessly. "I'm sorry."

He turned and was gone before I could say I didn't blame him. It wasn't his fault, honestly.

I said goodbye to Kate, unable to look at her right now, knowing that she would be privy to a secret world of magic and Power for as long as she was with Pogue – while I was shut out, locked out, my key melted down into the mouth-guard that would keep me silent about it.

When I went back to the dorms after classes, there was a letter waiting on my desk.


	11. Dreams

**Hello everyone! )waves( First off, I apologise that it took so long to get this chapter done. I was hard to write, and I needed a lot of help from my amazing betta Kitty, to whom this chapter is dedicated to, both because without her it would never have been written (no exaggeration!) and because she is just ****the best****. It is that simple. I am ashamed I never mentioned her before now.**

**Now, I got seriously pissed off when, in a review, an anonymous person mentioned that there were only four Players – Alpha, Warrior, Knower, and Peace-Keeper. THAT IS NOT TRUE! THERE ARE ****FIVE****! I am not an idiot, something so ****glaringly ****obvious did not escape my notice! If you actually read this, there are FIVE players – including the Rogue. That persona is mentioned by the Morrigan, when Chase first meets her, and in chapter nine, by Tyler when he's explaining things to Sarah and Kate. **

**Another thing – some people might be wondering why Reid said that Kate had a weak Binding on her to stop her telling people, when it seemed she didn't in chapter nine. It's a very WEAK binding (and will be explained in more detail later,) but this is just to say it wasn't a mistake, k? **

**No more until 50 reveiws! But give me time – the next chapter is proving hard to write. My thanks to Kitty and everyone who reviewed! **

_Chapter Ten – Dreams_

Chase's POV

The blade fits my hand as though made for it, the hilt snug in my palm, shaped into a roaring snow-leopard, the cross of the grip adorned with a sapphire. The sword itself seems light, an extension of my arm when I swing it through the air, my sharp ears listening carefully to it's song as I whirl it, checking for imbalances as I've been taught.

It's perfect.

Grinning with real delight, I let it rest, the vicious point set into the grass beneath my feet, my hand lightly holding the hilt. It's a comforting weight, the cold smoothness against my skin calming, relaxing. Safe.

The Morrigan leans up against a tree, her arms crossed, both her long-swords sheathed, her eyes looking me over critically. Standing with a wild grace, she walks over to me, inspecting my hold on her new gift, before leaning back to meet my gaze, cocking her head, her gold eyes hiding her thoughts.

"Does it please you, little mageling?" She asked, flicking her eyes up and down me, resting on the slight bulge in my sleeve, where a dagger-hilt rests up near my palm, easily accessible if I need it while I hunt.

I grin again, turning and swinging the sword in a wide arc in a single movement, using the skills she's taught me for flare, drama, in answer, letting her see how well it fits me, how it seems a part of my arm, the weight nothing, comforting, part of me, the ease with which I use it.

As I halt my three-sixty spin to face her, the blade coming to rest once again on the ground, I twirl the hilt through my fingers. "It does indeed, my Lady. I do not know how to thank you enough! It is…" I lift it to waist-height, unable not to, the shining metal calling to me. "A precious gift, Morrigan. Thank you."

She smiles at me, glad that I am glad. "Then spar with me, mageling. Prove you have been listening all these months – disarm me!"

My eyes widen, the excitement over my new gift forgotten.

Since she first had me lift a blade, we've sparred again and again. In the beginning, I could barely last twenty seconds – if that – against the goddess of War. Gradually, as the months flitted by, our little duels lasted longer and longer – but they always end with her twisting my weapon away from me, my sword falling to the ground or through the air, the pointed tip of her dagger or blade resting in the hollow of my throat.

I've never disarmed her, and I've certainly never _won_. But my Lady has told me there are only a handful of humans alive who equal my skill, and they had trained for years. Even if a sword is hardly a weapon you see on the streets anymore.

But I nod my concurrence, solemn, preparing my chosen moves in my mind as I ready myself, my thoughts flashing with speed, creating, rejecting, twisting, removing, picking and choosing what might work and what won't.

My thoughts are far from the forefront of my mind when she comes for me – I'm ready, prepared – so fast she blurs, not with an overhand swing like they do in the movies – such a move is dangerous: it takes too long and lets your enemy see exactly what you're doing – but with a side-swipe, low and fast, but instinctively I see what she's trying to do, watching the wind-like shifting of her weight, and I don't even try to block it, stepping to the right and bringing my blade up to catch hers, blacking the real blow behind the feint.

Again, again, again – low, high, swing, duck, parry, block, parry, feint, strike, step to the left, the right, thrust and twist it into a feint to the side at the last moment, an ever-changing dance that goes on forever, the dancers moving to the music of the Song, Power burning through both of us. It's always there, now, under my skin and in my eyes, improving, protecting, creating, healing, letting me go faster, be stronger, see farther, hear sharper. This is what it feels like to be a super human, an avenging angel, a demon, of finally realising who you are, being defined.

And then I see an opening, and I use my dagger to parry her sword while feinting with mine, using my two blades to catch and twist, throwing my weight behind it, stepping forward for more power –

Her sword falls to the ground, the grass-thump silent in our natural arena.

We both stare at it, stunned, eyes wide. I don't understand what's just happened – I just disarmed the goddess of War.

Surely such a thing isn't possible.

Hesitating, I Use to lift her sword from the ground, the emerald eyes of her spread-winged raven hilt shining like jade sunlight – or my memory of sunlight, because I haven't seen it for months, living in shadow and starlight in the Otherworld, trained by a goddess.

It sounds like something from a story.

Taking her sword, I hold it out to her, hilt-first. "My Lady?" My voice is quiet, a little fearful. I'm not sure how she's going to react – it can't be everyday that the Morrigan is defeated in a duel.

For a moment, she just stares at the weapon I'm holding to her, as if she has no idea what it is – something I seriously doubt – but then she laughs, her eyes sparkling with her mirth, and leans in to hug me, swinging me around with her immortal strength.

"You've done it, little mageling!" She laughed, setting me back on my feet again, tracing my face lovingly with a roughened fingertip. "You've done it, little mageling," she says again, more softly, lovingly, and I smile, proud of her praise, the Power singing through my blood, filling me up, soft and warm and hot, fireworks beneath my skin, wild and fast.

And I cry out, leaning my head back and screaming a challenge to the sky, letting everything flow out of me – all the joy, all the pride, all the wild strength. I'm Powerful, I'm strong, there's nothing in any world that can ever defeat me.

_And life in short doses can perfect be. _

Reid's POV

It's more and more painful the farther I go from my Alpha, but just the thought of Sarah next to him, touching him, talking to him, makes it hard to breathe, hard to stay sane. Hard not to just kill her where she sat, taste her blood as it stained the floor, savoured the screams of the other students as they watched.

So hard.

And it terrifies me. I've never felt this before – I've never wanted to kill, never had to fight so hard not to lose control. Never felt the edges of my Self blur like this.

The library is quiet, calm. Peaceful. The wood panelling and the scent of the books – their quiet whisper, as if they're all alive and talking to each other – soothes me, eases the ache, just a little. Enough that I can close my eyes, hot and burning, and just _breathe_.

There's no one else here but the librarian, who gives me a questioning look before returning to her work, typing something into a computer at her desk, her fingers flashing over the keyboard. I ignore her, slipping between the shelves, one hand clutching at my stomach, instinctively trying to use pressure to relieve the pain. It's not working, but I keep my hand there anyway, unthinkingly.

I run my fingers over the books, their spines out toward me, the titles blurring in my vision as I gasp, bending over as another wave of agony crashes over me, and I can't tell if this is physical or mental because there's emotions mixed up in it, Caleb, somewhere, angry and scared and worried, wild, his Power ruling him, looking for me.

_Reid! Reid, where are you?! _I can hear him calling, his mind-voice loud, even as I feel him coming closer through our bond. _Please, Reid, please! I – _

He screams inside my head, rage and agony and roaring _need_ twined together in a braid of emotion, forcing me to my knees, tears rolling uncontrollably down my face, both at his pain that's my own and the need to _stop it_, to stop him hurting, calm him, soothe him, kiss-it-better.

_Reid, please! _

_I'm here,_ I whisper, my eyes closed shut, sending an image of myself, crouched on the floor somewhere between history and fiction, author surnames D through F.

And in an instant, I'm tugged off my feet, warm desperate fingers winding around my wrists, pulling me up with a strength that's not human, that sends involuntary thrills through my skin, and then Caleb's mouth is crashing into mine with a desperation I've not tasted before, with anyone, and my eyes close against the pleasure in it, my soul submitting, loving it, in ecstasy as he takes control, his hands fast and strong, roving, touching, his tongue tasting, teeth biting, bruising, my skin giving out under him, and I've never felt like this before, one hand taking a grip in my hair, pulling my head back to expose my throat, and my skin's on fire, lightning burning through my blood as I give myself up to him, as he presses me back onto one of the desks, bent backwards at the waist, being tasted again and again, his weight on me making me writhe, eyes blind, stars burning my vision away into the dark as I can't take it anymore, as I lose control, shuddering and shaking in his grip, the two of us blurring, so I can't tell who I am anymore, where I am, who this other person is, just losing myself in the pleasure and the star-shine and the lightning trails that his fingers leave on my skin.

I can't breathe, struggling to take a breath as Caleb slowly moves off me, and I almost cry as his hands leave their grip on my wrists. I feel weak, helpless, like the least little thing is going to start me crying, and I have no idea why.

Caleb gently pulls me up, carefully, tenderly, and the moment I'm on my own weak feet I wrap my arms around him, burying my face in his shoulder, and I'm crying, crying as I hold him as tight as I can, my shoulders shaking, and I have no idea why but I can't stop, can't stop even as I feel his voice in my mind, begging me to tell me what's wrong, because I _don't know_, and I'm scared and helpless and I have no idea who I am anymore.

_What's happening to me? _

Pogue's POV

I can't stop myself from running after Caleb, muttering something unheard to Kate as I stand up at our table, trying to avoid looking at the blonde girl opposite. The sight of her is driving me _nuts_ – I want her _gone_, as if her presence is scratching, rubbing me up the wrong way, and when I see the fear, the weakness, in her eyes it just makes it worse.

_She claims a mage but doesn't know what that means_, I thought to myself as I ran out, trying to guess where they might have gone. Caleb's _fast_, in the pool and out of it, and I was too slow to see where he went.

_Think_, I told myself furiously, not even sure _why_ I was so desperate to find my Alpha. _Caleb's looking for Reid. Where would Reid go? _

I throw my hands up in the air, growling under my breath. I have _no idea_ where he would have gone! I don't see him going outside, unless he wanted space…Would he have hidden in a classroom?

It's only then I realise I'm on my own. The hallway is empty, everyone in the canteen for lunch, quiet. If I was anyone else, I'd say it's peaceful.

But I'm not. All I can say is that I'm on my own when I shouldn't be, not any more. I haven't left Kate's side all day, and though I'm earning boy-friend points it isn't because I love her so. It's because…

I start to sweat, start to panic, Power flooding my eyes, trying to protect me from a threat that doesn't exist. I try to take a breath, but I can't move, frozen, utterly terrified.

A flashback starts, my vision blurring as it starts to play inside my head like a movie, the reel spinning too fast to see –

"Pogue?"

I almost go weak with relief as Kate walks up beside me, linking her arm through mine, meeting my eyes with concern. "You okay?"

I nod, jerkily, struggling to control my body. I'm shuddering, shaking, and I despise it. I am _not weak! _

Kate nods absently, as if confirming something. "Okay…Did you know Sarah's going to be Bound?"

That snapped my attention fully onto her, banishing the whispers of memory that tugged at my mind. "What?" I asked, shock colouring my tone. I didn't know what I'd expected, but it wasn't being Bound. I just thought she could be trusted.

She nodded. "Tyler told us. He said the Elders decided it."

"Oh." In that case, there was no questioning it. If the Elders had gathered in council and made their decision, it could not be challenged – assuming they had all agreed. If it was just a majority vote, on the other hand, the Alpha of the current generation in power could demand a re-vote.

But it wasn't Caleb in power just yet – not until he was twenty-one. At that point, our fathers would step down from the stone thrones, carved from fallen meteorites, and join the ranks of the Elders.

And, somehow, I didn't think Caleb would challenge them over it anyway.

I reached for Kate's hand, her fingers cold, as if she'd been outside. "Are you all right?" I asked her, softly. It had freaked me out when I realised that other humans, my friends and teachers, didn't have the Power. I was nine, and I'd just assumed talking about the Power was something you just didn't do – like walking around naked. You just didn't. When I realised they actually _did not have it_, that my family and the others' were gifted, it was so strange.

Obviously, she wasn't having that problem. But finding out that your friend has to be killed or be Spelled – because I assumed Sarah'd been given the Silent Choice – it might just shake you.

"I'm fine," she said, frowning in thought. "Sarah told me, once, that she found a book on Caleb's family history." She said, changing the subject suddenly, looking up to meet my eyes. "Do you have one?"

I nodded. "Why?"

She hesitated. "Would it be okay if I read it? I'd like to know more about you guys."

I thought about it. "I don't see why not. But, Kate," I remembered something, urgent and important. "I know you hate the whole patriarchal thing, but in the eyes of the Families, if you mess up, you're my responsibility –"

She held her hand over her mouth, smile plastered on but dark eyes serious. "I know, Pogue, its fine. Tyler mentioned it in passing. I'll be careful, kay?"

I nodded, and she took her hand away. "Want to go outside?"

She thought for a second. "Okay. Let me grab my bag." She turned and walked over to the hall wall, where everyone had left their school bags while they ate, picking out her satchel. "Coming!"

Smiling, we walked outside, just to have some us-time.

Tyler's POV

I run my palm over my face, trying to wipe away the world in front of my eyes. I don't want it to exist. I don't _want it_.

I don't even notice where I'm going until I find I'm sitting down, my back against a wall and my head leaning against the cool stone, needing to feel strength from _somewhere._ I'm just so, so tired. I didn't want the Elders to sentence Sarah to the Choice of Silence, I didn't want to be the one to break the news to her. Why couldn't Caleb take care of his own damn messes?

So tired. I was up hours last night, trying to argue the case of the blonde-haired mortal, the girl who doesn't recognise how hard I tried. Not even a word of thanks. If I had any energy, I'd blast her through a wall.

Tired…I…Just…Want…To…_Sleep_.

It's like being wrapped in silk – dark, smooth black silk that caresses my skin oh-so-softly, gently gliding over my body, warm and careful, tender, delicate, and it's not arousing, it's soothing, letting me melt into the mental touch, too tired and my mind too blurred to be worried, scared that someone's Using on me…

Too tired…

Moaning softly, my head lolls, ecstasy flooding me at the submission, as I fall into sleep.

Chase's POV

"You have gone as far as I can take you, mageling," the Morrigan tells me, sitting on a thick branch some feet away, her feet swinging like a child. "The only skills you do not possess are those that belong only to my kin. You should be proud."

I smiled, fingering the hilt of my sword. I felt at ease, relaxed, calm. The burning need to fight, to spill blood, had eased with the run the two of us had taken, the energy burned out in this timeless place, making it impossible to tell for how long we moved. Now, I was sitting with my back to a tree, my legs spread as I leaned back, enjoying the hardness through the cloth of my shirt.

"This news is not all good however, little one," my Lady continued, but I kept my posture easy. She would tell me everything I needed to know, and there was nothing I could do to change the message she would give me.

"You still have a fierce need to become grounded. It will start to overwhelm you very soon. We have only a month or so left before you must return." She continued, and I still didn't move.

None of me did, but for the tears beneath my eyelids.

"And I still have yet to finish your training in emotion-magic," she murmured, as if to herself. "Thus, we will link you through the dream-time to another."

I frowned, without lifting my head. "My Lady?"

"Think of it as a pen-friend for your mind," she explained. "You will talk to another person in your dreams, and theirs, but because of the nature of your spell, neither of you will know the identity of the other. Unless you meet in the physical world, that is, in which case your spirits will instantly recognise each other." She mused, swinging her legs again aimlessly. "Speaking to this person will ground you, to an extent. You will be letting your feelings out, so to speak. And you need not worry about your secrets – they will think it is only a dream."

I nodded, the position of my head causing my throat to ache slightly. "It sounds a good plan, my Lady. When shall we put it into effect?"

"Why, immediately." She stated, as if it were obvious, cocking her head at me, making me grin a little. "It is very simple. You shall go to sleep now, and I shall create the dream-link from within your mind, so that you will learn how it is done. The spell will link you to another who is sleeping at the same time, one who will be good for you."

"I must sleep now, then?" I asked, just to clarify. When she nodded, I rolled my eyes beneath closed lids. "As my Lady wishes it." I whispered, flicking mental switches as I spoke, until, as the last syllable left my lips, I was asleep, my mind swirling into darkness.

Tyler's POV

It was beautiful.

This place, wherever it was, was perfect. Beautiful, ethereal, surreal in its twilight shadows, it's soft darkness that gave a gentle light.

It was a forest, I thought, the trees bare of any leaves but giving their own light in replacement of the missing sun overhead, their bark glowing gently, not really enough to let you see but enough to be hypnotising. If I didn't know better, I would have said they were carved of crystal, a pale blue crystal that was alight from the inside. And maybe they were – after all, this was a dream, wasn't it?

I sat crouched at the edge of a lake, the water rippling slightly, even though the air was still. It was black and silver in the light from the trees, from the marble-like spheres that flew in slow, graceful paths through the air like new-born stars, their light the same pale blue as the trees but brighter, their movement creating fey-like shadows all around, sometimes passing close enough for me to touch, reaching out with my fingers, the glow of them turning my skin silver, too pale to be human. But they always darted away, like fireflies, when I got too close.

They flew like fairies, in and out among the skeletal branches of the bushes that lined the water, their lack of growth somehow not fearsome or worrying, but calming, in place with the surroundings. Past them, the almost protective briars, was an outcrop of deep grey rock, forming giant's-steps into the rest of the woods, dissolving into a hill among the trees.

I watched the star-faeries, as I named them silently, dart and swoop softly through the air, dancing to a music I couldn't hear. This place was perfect in its silence, without birdsong or wind to disturb the drinking in of these sights around me.

Suddenly, the water on the lake rippled strongly, little waves whirling outwards from the centre towards me. Frowning, I watched them, unable to fear, and somehow certain there was nothing under the water.

I heard the soft step of flesh on stone, and turned slowly to see who had arrived.

I saw him, but I couldn't See him. A boy, man, taller than me but not by much, garbed in black cloth that seemed to melt him into the air, taking him from my sight so that I had to struggle to keep my gaze on him. It was as if he were made of glass – my eyes slid over his form like water, unable to get a grip, unable to focus on him.

Confused, I tried harder – and though I didn't succeed even in discovering what colour his hair was, I saw a long, silver blade belted at his waist, graceful in its freedom from a sheath, shining in the light from the faeries and the trees. Transformed from a tool of death and blood into a sceptre of fey magic.

My eyes travelled along its length, as if to make up for their inability to see its bearer. The blade was slim, light, etched with runes I couldn't read, that I'd never seen before, dissolving without a join into a silver hilt, a snarling snow-leopard with carved rosettes and ivory fangs, sapphire eyes like azure stars in this wood. Its tail, long and elegant, flowed into one arm of the hilt, the other a paw reaching for an enemy, claws picked out in silver gilt.

It was beautiful. Graceful. Elegant. Deadly. Completely and utterly hypnotising.

He cocked his head, pale hand reaching for aforementioned hilt. I stiffened, unsure if this dream was about to become a nightmare, but he just fingered it, his fingertips running absently over the rosettes of the leopard, as if he was thinking.

"May I sit with you?" He asked, suddenly, his voice, familiar but refusing to be placed, easing its way smoothly into the silence.

Considering for a moment, I nodded, moving slightly on the grass of the shore to make room for him, watching him from the corner of my eye as he slid his sword out of the loop in his belt so he could sit down, laying it carefully beside him, the grip close to his hand as he leaned back on his palms, legs stretched out before him, one knee bending as he brought it up, letting his head lean back with a soft sigh.

I stared, transfixed. The smooth curve of his throat in the crystal light, touched with soft blue and silver into something precious, was like the curve of a crescent moon, but warm, somehow. Inviting. I wondered how soft it would be under my trailing fingertips, tracing runes and sigils of heat onto his skin, letting my hand smoothly ease into touching him, my palm curving around his neck as I brought his face forward…

His eyes opened, shining in the fey light, to look at me. Even as I couldn't see the colour of them, the knowledge _there_, right _there_ but somehow out of my grasp, I could watch a soft stream of thoughts pass behind them, even through the dark shutters that tried to keep me out.

"Who are you?" I asked, surprisingly myself as much as he with the question. Where had that come from? This was a _dream_ – why did I want to know?

He looked at me for a moment longer before answering. "Someone who needs someone else."

An interesting answer, deliberately mysterious. I wondered why my unconsciousness was creating such a person. What was I trying to tell myself?

_That you need someone who needs you back_, a soft voice whispered in my head – or was it my heart? I wasn't sure. Wherever it was, it was right. _Someone who can be strong for you and weak for you. Just for you._

Mentally, I rolled my eyes. Yeah, but what guy would want someone like me? The bookworm Knower, the weakest of our pack and the last-born – not the one with strength, with looks, even the one that was fun to be around, albeit irritating. Caleb, Pogue, Reid – yeah, I could see why they'd all ended up taken.

Each but me.

Shaking my head to dislodge the pessimistic thoughts that did me no good, I caught the other someone looking at me. "What?"

He shrugged, closing his eyes again. "Nothing. I just assumed you would question my answer, or at least comment on it."

Grinning, I shook my head. "Nope. This is a dream, and dreams are full of secrets. It makes them more interesting, don't you think?"

He shot me a quick look, his expression unreadable but confusing, before melting into a mirror-image of my grin. "I think indeed. Does that not mean I am not a dream?"

Confused by his question, I frowned. "What do you mean?"

He grinned again, before closing his eyes and leaning back. "If I was a dream, I would be part of your sleeping mind. It would be you, in a sense, that controlled my every action. I would be no better than, say, a very lifelike robot. Have you never heard the saying, _'I think, therefore I am,_'?"

I waved my hand to brush aside his point. "How can you not be a dream? I fell asleep, came here, and now _you're_ here. So you have to be a dream. You're part of _this_," I told him, gesturing around us at the trees and the stone and the lake, taking it all in as if to then present him with it.

He shot me another of those looks, before staring out at the black water. "You don't know how right you are," he murmured, thoughts swirling behind his eyes, before he turned back to me, mouth parting to speak, before he closed it with a frown, his eyes darting up and down me.

"What?" I glanced down at myself, praying this wasn't one of those dreams where you're in weird clothes – or no clothes at all. But no – I was still in my uniform. That was weird…That had never happened before, even when I fell asleep in class or in the library.

"You're wearing my old school uniform," he told me, eyes focussed on my tie now, his gaze starting to make me burn as it raked me up and down, scorching my skin beneath the clothes.

"So you live in Ipswich?" I asked, not even realising what I'd said, just desperate to get his eyes back to my face and change the subject. By which I meant I wanted him to stop _looking_ at me like I was prey – because it was getting me hot and bothered.

He dragged his eyes back to mine, pausing before he spoke. "No – I'm just a dream, remember?" His voice was teasing, light and full of laughter, and the darkness around us eased a little, becoming brighter.

Glancing up, wondering if it was sunrise, I saw that the sky didn't seem to exist. Above us, there was just darkness, a nothing that stretched out above us forever, like the depths of space. It was like staring up at the night sky and suddenly realising there wasn't anything separating you from space, from the stars, no wall or barrier – just air, weak and flimsy. As if realising for the first time that you could almost reach out and pluck a star from the sky, hold it in your hand and blow it like a kiss to someone you loved.

As he joined me in looking up, making me struggle to keep my eyes on the sky, or lack-of, and not back to his throat, I wondered if I would have blown him that star.

Chase's POV

It seemed a huge coincidence that this 'pen-friend for my mind' was from my old school, out of everyone in the human world it could have been. I couldn't even remember what it was called anymore, my mind full of sword techniques and knowledge of the human body, spells and charms and hexes, a spiral of Power that took in my life and re-made it into something strong, eliminating the weakness that had forced me to the breaking point so long ago.

And he was hot. I'd only meant to confirm that his was my old uniform, see the school colours on his tie and the cut of his trousers, but…I'd been drawn to the body beneath the cloth, the sculpted chest that showed through the thin paleness of the shirt, the strong legs I could easily imagine running my hands down, making him shiver, the hips I'd love to pin down, the trousers hugging his form neatly, just like a rule-abiding school-boy would wear them…And that just led to debating the pros and cons of all the hidden spaces in libraries, out of view behind all those shelves…

Not to mention the fun I could have, convincing him to break the rules…

There was an innocence about him that was incredibly appealing, that made me want to protect him, drawing my sword against anyone who hurt him. He was untouched, pure, and, _oh_, wouldn't I fight _anyone_ for the right to be the first to touch his skin that way…

It made no sense, I told myself fiercely, not to mention the fact that it didn't _matter _if he was perfect for me in every way. I couldn't have him. Much as the idea repulsed me, I _needed_ Caleb as my mate, or I'd walk the Candle-lined road to madness and never find my way back.

So it didn't matter who this guy was. Didn't matter.

Besides, I'd only just met him. I had no idea what he was like.

_Ah, but didn't the Morrigan tell you whoever met you here would be good for you? _A voice whispered.

_Shut up!_ I told it, reverting back to my old form of speech in my frustration. _Shut up. It doesn't matter what she said. I have to have Caleb. _

To break my trail of thoughts, I looked around, taking my eyes away from the darkness above us, murmuring the lesson my Lady had placed in my mind as she cast the spell through me.

_The Dreaming Place you travel to will be unique to you,_ she had told me, twining my Power through her fingers. _It will be _your _Place, since it is you who created the spell. If I cast the dream-link to you, you would come to _my_ Place, which would be very different to your own. _

_A Dreaming Place reflects the mind of the one who created it. So pay heed to your surroundings – they can teach you much about yourself. _

"Did you say something?"

I looked back at my companion, cocking my head in a move I'd unconsciously picked up from the Morrigan. "What?"

He frowned. "I thought I heard you say something."

Oh. I must have repeated the lesson out loud. I did that sometimes – as irritating as it was. "Just talking to myself."

"It's the first sign of madness, you know," he commented, closing his eyes as he lay back on the silver grass, this entire Place silver and grey and blue, a twilight-world that I decided I loved.

His words made me freeze, remembering what the Morrigan had told me. _Only another month before you lose your sanity…_Was I so close already?

He turned, leaning on his elbow to look at me with a frown. "Are you okay?"

I nodded, taking a deep breath, not looking at him. "Yes. I'm fine. You just…Hit a nerve, that's all."

He frowned again, obviously confused, but I wasn't going to explain what I meant. I reasoned I could say anything I pleased here – seeing as I was never going to meet this person in real life. Actually…

My brow furrowed in thought. This could complicate matters. In keeping with my plan, I had to return to the Ipswich academy. Was it safe, if I ran the risk of this student recognising me? I had to ask the Morrigan when this dream-time ended.

Suddenly, the silence was torn apart by a shrieking, wild sound that ripped through me, finding me on my feet, blade in hand as I whirled, seeking my enemy, already trying to work out what could possibly have invaded a two-only Dreaming Place.

My companion paled, rising to his feet. "Calm down. It's just the bell."

I turned to him, confused, lowering my sword. Obviously, he knew what the sound was. "The bell?"

He nodded. "For the end of lunch. I've got to go for class – sorry." He made to turn away, before pausing, looking back to me. "I – I've never had a repeat dream before. Will I get to see you again?"

I grinned, sheathing my sword into the leather loop on my belt. "Oh, most definitely. Don't worry about that."

Smiling back in a way that made me glow, he closed his eyes, an expression of calm smoothing his face, before a blinding flash of light burst out of him, making me shield my eyes with my hand.

When I took it down, I was back in Otherworld, with Morrigan.

_A Dreaming-Place for two cannot survive with one._

Tyler's POV

Waking with a start, I jumped up, reaching for my bag to remember it was inside, in the hallway outside the canteen.

Cursing, I ran – and even as I was manoeuvring through the halls, I was thinking of my dream, and hoping _he_ would keep his promise.

Hoping I would see him again.


	12. Water and Fire

**Hello again peoples! Well, it's actually coincidence that I post this on the same day I get my last required review. I finished this last night, and just got it back from my beta. Yay! **

**Now, for the bad news – I'm moving house tonight, and, thus, will not have ANY internet access for a week or two. I am very sad about this – both because I can't post (god damn it!) and because I can't read all those lovely nice reviews I know you'll all leave for me. )smiles sweetly( Right…If I don't have AT LEAST fifty-six reviews by the time I come back…Well, I'm NOT going to be pleased!**

**All yours! **

* * *

_Chapter Eleven – Water and Fire_

Caleb's POV

Eventually, Reid stops crying, abruptly withdrawing from my touch and wiping his eyes, angrily, harshly, glaring at the glistening drops that cling to his fingers like liquid diamonds, avoiding my eyes as he straightened his uniform.

I began to grow desperate, needing acknowledgement, needing to know what was wrong. I reached out to cup his chin, tipping his head back to force him to look at me, wincing inwardly when his eyes stared defiantly, his hands fists at his sides.

Opening my mouth to speak, I snapped it shut again, not knowing what to do. Hesitating, I let my hand fall, holding it out in front of me, still reaching for him, uncertain.

I didn't know what was _wrong_.

He stared at me for a moment before making to walk past me, brushing against my shoulder to get through the space between the shelves, making me flinch at the rage and sadness, the fear, that was pouring through the threads, which I didn't understand. What had happened?

I turned as he passed me, lightly resting my hand on his shoulder, trying not to start crying when he flinched away from my touch. "Reid, please. What's wrong?"

He shrugged my hand off, pulling himself away from me as though he thought I'd hurt him. "Just leave it, Caleb," he snarled, his voice trembling, denying the strength of his words. "Just leave me alone, okay?"

"No, it's not okay!" I snapped, struggling with my anger, with the strength flooding into my eyes, gasping at the need to Use. _Can't. Won't. _"One second everything's fine, and the next, you're crying. That's not okay, Reid!"

He shut his eyes at my voice, his nails cutting into his palms as he clenched his fists tighter, tiny diamonds brushed onto his eyelashes, making me forget my anger as my breath caught in my throat. He was so god-damn _beautiful_, even when I was mad at him. Hell, he made me forget I was angry.

"Reid, I'm sorry," I whispered, softer. "I didn't mean to get mad. I just want you to be okay."

His eyes opened, looking at me helplessly, and I felt like wrapping my arms around him, protecting him from the entire world, giving him somewhere to come to, somewhere he could cry and laugh and be safe forever. And I might have done just that, if he hadn't done it first.

"I'm sorry, Caleb, I'm sorry," he sobbed, burying his face in my shoulder, his hands around my neck, his shoulders shaking. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

I hugged him, letting him cry, and it felt so strange. I'd never seen Reid cry before, not since we were seven and he broke his leg in a climbing accident. And here he was, the one that always kept his walls up, the one whose gates were never, never opened, not for anyone – not for the girls he dated, not for his family, not for the rest of the Covenant. Certainly not for me.

Until recently.

And I was still coming to terms with it. That I was allowed everything – _every _part of this golden-haired angel, this burning flame housed in elfin flesh, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Nothing hidden, nothing kept.

"Its okay, Reid, its okay," I whispered, rubbing comforting circles on his back. "Its okay," I repeated, softly, over and over, until the storm eased, calming slowly.

He pulled back gently, not looking at me. "Caleb…"

Fighting not to pull him back to me, I took a deep breath. "What?"

Maybe he mistook my deep breathing for frustration, because I watched as his eyes shuttered, locking me out. "Nothing. Come on, I thought I heard the bell. We're going to be late."

I opened my mouth to damn the bell – and shut it when I saw the blankness in Reid's face.

Something was very, very wrong, and I sensed words weren't going to make it go away.

Nodding slowly, I led him back to our bags without a word.

Reid's POV

We separated for geography, Caleb taking his place up top and me finding Tyler, who looked seriously preoccupied about something, barely hearing a word I said the whole lesson.

Not that I said a whole lot. I was thinking too, and it wasn't such a calm subject as baby-boy's no doubt was.

As I took the notes, copying down the scrawling diagrams, I was trying not to scream. I wanted to rip and tear and _kill_, Use until it burned me from the inside out, cleaning, cauterising. I wanted…I didn't _know_ what I wanted, and it was driving me _insane_.

I might not have known what was getting me riled up, but I knew the reason I'd been crying – the memory alone enough to make me burn with embarrassment. I couldn't _believe _I'd cried in front of Caleb. None of the guys had seen me cry since we were kids.

I was scared. Terrified.

Who was this new person, this new Reid that whimpered and submitted and couldn't get Caleb out of his head for more than a minute? The Reid that no longer, after only a couple of _days_, had any interest in winding the rest of the Covenant up, in pushing the limits, the boundaries, seeing how far the elastic would go before it snapped. The smart-mouthed bad-boy of Ipswich. Where had _he_ gone?

I ground my teeth, trying to give myself another reason for the hopeless tears that were starting to fall, staining the still-wet ink on my page. Why had he gone and left behind this weak-willed idiot? I didn't _want_ to be like this, and yet I couldn't help it when Caleb so much as spoke to me. Couldn't help giving way, obeying, doing whatever he wanted.

Worse, I didn't know if it was the bond – or me. Was this the 'real' me behind all the masks, the ones I didn't know how to take down any more? I'd never really looked behind all the walls and locked doors, in the dark eyes of all those colourful masks, not for years – I didn't _know_ what was behind them anymore. I couldn't tell you.

And if the wearer can't say what's behind the mask, who can?

_Who am I? _

Chase's POV

My first Dreaming Place had been a great success, the Morrigan declared, her gold eyes seeing the new anchoring of my Power, how the frayed edges and loose threads had smoothed over, been tucked in and sewn back together.

"It will get better than this," she told me, leading my through the trees, her sword at her hip shadowed silver. "But only to an extent. You must remember this, and not place too much false hope in this man."

I nodded, determined not to show how much fear her words summoned. _I don't want to die._

She was taking me back to the river, where she had gone to teach me how to make Caleb mine, the thought of which made me grimace. At least I knew how to tweak the magic, make it one-way only. I didn't have any feelings for the Covenant Alpha, and I didn't plan on having any. I'd rather live a life without love that be bound to Caleb.

"Today, you will learn one of the greatest secrets of Users, little mageling," she told me, as she leapt through the air, landing gracefully on a river-smoothed stone, miraculously not slipping on the wet moss. I eyed the stepping-stones warily, making my way across with my blade lain across my open palms for balance. "I will teach you how to use the elements."

Curling gracefully on a wide stone, I turned my full attention to her. "Why is that so great?"

She set her sword in the shallow water, and for a moment, we both watched the surreal beauty of the gems beneath the running water.

"Because the elements, in their raw states, contain Power of their own. When you mix elements, the strength produced is incredible. From what you've told me, that is how you came to me in the first place."

Frowning and interested, I inclined my head in silent question.

"Fire," she explained. "Fire, and Akasha, the Power, which is what Caleb used to inadvertently send you here. Fire is passion, while Akasha is strength. And I am guessing that your Alpha was quite _passionate_ about you being simply _gone_, was he not?"

Grinning, I nodded.

"There it is, then," she announced as I confirmed her theory. "His passion shaped the accidental spell he created by mixing elements, which responded by making you _gone_, as far away as they could send you."

"To another world," I murmured, considering the possibilities. "Do you have to use Power to trigger an element-spell?"

She nodded. "Of course. The added strength is what creates the spell in the first place. Otherwise, every time water touched the earth when it rained you would have all kind of things happening. It wouldn't be safe."

I nodded again, thinking. "Okay. Can you show me?"

She cocked her head, considering for a moment, her hair brushing her shoulders. "Yes. I think that would be the best way to teach you. We will begin with water."

Sitting up straighter, I felt the Song grow stronger, louder, as if it laughed in delight and anticipation.

Reid's POV

I was silent, brooding, until the end of the day, not hearing the snapped commands to pay attention, or see the concerned glances the others shot me. I was ignoring Caleb's attempts to pierce the thick walls I'd put up around my mind – finally realising that the walls I used to protect my Self could extend to that as well.

When the last bell went, I slipped out of the door almost before the others stood up to pack away, noticing that the bond didn't hurt me this time. Maybe because Caleb knew exactly where I was going – the pool, for after-school practice, where he'd be seeing me in a few minutes anyway.

For a minute, I paused outside the changing rooms, gym bag in hand, wondering if I dared skip. I'd pay for it – dearly – tomorrow, when coach came for my head, but I didn't want to spend any more time around my mate until I'd sorted my head out. I was trying to figure out who I was, and who I was supposed to be – trying to find the line that separated the two.

_No_, I thought, grasping my bag more tightly as I went in, feeling the rough cut of the plastic mats under my bare feet, _Reid Garwin wouldn't miss his favourite sport just because Caleb got him upset. _He'd go and bloody do it anyway. And _I _was Reid Garwin.

I changed fast, dumping my gear in a locker just as the rest of the team started to arrive, darting under the showers quickly before half-running out to the pool, instantly feeling the change in temperature. The heat in here always made me long for the coolness of the water, to ease the burning in my skin. There _had_ been a time when I'd gone and just jumped in one day after school, fully dressed in my uniform, but I'd gotten away with it. The coach had been so impressed by my desire to practise he'd even let me do laps – in school uniform!

He gave me a glance over before jerking his head at the water. "Ten laps, Garwin, and make it quick. Do seven before the others get out and you can miss the last three."

Grinning at his back as he turned around, I walked quickly to the lip of the pool, my toes curling there for a moment before I leapt, pouring all my natural grace into it, almost flying before I slid into the water, leaving barely a ripple as I dived deep down, ignoring the slight ache of the pressure in my ears as I revelled in the instant silence.

_This _was a reason to love swimming, this silence, this quiet. As I eased myself through the water with strong, calm strokes, I listened to nothing.

Priceless. Truly, truly priceless.

I didn't make the seven laps before the rest of the guys started coming out, but I hadn't been trying to. I wanted time to savour this calm, without the others churning the water and making it loud, rough like the sea during a storm. I could kill them for that, sometimes – when I'm so desperate for that quiet I'll run a bath at home and go to sleep under the shimmering surface, fully clothed, Using to create a bubble of air that lets me breathe, so I can lock out the rest of the world. When I feel like that at school – like I _need _that quiet, or I'll scream – I generally ask coach for some private practise during lunch.

But if it's during practise…I could kill them.

I glare at the bumbling _boys,_ as they get into the water, splashing each other and messing around, clumsy and unkempt, if that's the word I'm looking for. Don't they understand how…how _sacred_ water is? That to move through it as they do, leaving angry trails in their wake, is almost blasphemy? Truly.

Annoyed, and wanting to douse this angry fire in my, I dive abruptly, ignoring the calls of my name as those on the pool's edge summon me. I feel like a water-nymph, a selkie – something that belongs to the sea, to the water, wild, free, and untamed.

Everyone thinks its fire that's untameable – but I've never known anyone to leash the sea, or the rain. Even the water in this swimming pool has its waves, its eddies that lap against the cold, smooth stone that holds it in. Held, not tamed.

Don't confuse the two.

Deep, deep down, until the darkness reaches up for me with cloudy, smoky fingers. Its deep, our pool, twenty-five feet deep at this end, and I make it a point to always touch the tiled floor with my nose at least once a practise. That's what I'm doing now, my hands sharp blades that both cut through and pull the water to propel me forward, my legs kicking just enough to keep it a slow descent.

My palms lie flat against the floor, and I can hear the shouts from above the water, muffled murmurings that call my name. I ignore them again, intent on my task. I'll come up in a moment – my lungs are starting to burn anyway.

Kicking my feet to lie myself against the floor, I brush my nose to the tiles, grinning, pushing off to propel myself upwards – again, not strongly, just enough so I won't drown before I break the surface.

And I freeze.

Even as I keep moving upwards, my body's density too light to stay in the water, my eyes widen and I open my mouth, shocked, trying to scream.

He looks like a ghost, a shimmering mirage standing on the pool floor – I can see right through his silvery body, the long sword he holds clasped in both hands, the black clothes – how do I know they're black when he's all silver? – in a style I've never seen before…

His ebony eyes staring at me, wide, as if he's as shocked to be seeing me as I am him – and he vanishes in an instant, as if his concentration slipped, his form dissolving back into the water.

But the water's already rushed into my mouth and down my throat, and coughing underwater is only making me burn, and it feels wrong, fire underwater, wrongwrongwrong, and I can't panic for some reason, my mind moving too slowly, too shocked and scared that I just saw a ghost to do anything logical, and when I manage to lift my suddenly heavy head to see how far away a breath is…

Too far.

Caleb's POV

I watch with the others as Reid circles the pool's edge as we come out of the changing rooms, preferring to lean against the wall and watch him then mess around with the other guys. We know how it goes – no one gets in the water if he's already in it, not until he's on his last few laps and we can get away with it.

So we wait.

Tyler's sitting at the edge of the water, dangling his feet in the liquid darkness. I can barely see anything underneath but Reid's pale form, flashing by every couple of minutes, or when he comes up to snatch a hurried breath before descending again. Coach must have left the underwater lights off today for some reason. Weird.

My thoughts must have summoned him, because our swimming coach comes out of his office, glancing approvingly at Reid – before the smile becomes a frown. His eyes dart around the water, flickering with speed.

"Coach?" Pogue asks, wondering what's wrong. I mentally cocked my head, waiting for an answer.

"What?" He looks up to see my Brother, before looking back at the water. "Nothing…just…I could have sworn I'd turned the lights on."

Frowning, I flickered a glance at Pogue, nodding towards Tyler. _Check it out. _Since Chase, and my Ascension, my Alpha instincts had kicked in full force – _protect_. That was the Law encoded into my blood now – I could no more break it than I could stop breathing.

The Warrior nodded, moving over to where our Youngest was peering into the water with a frown, his brow creasing with confusion. I crossed my arms, wondering what was going on.

Just as Reid took a sudden dive, Tyler's face had me at his side in seconds, made more urgent by his quick leap to his feet, ripping his feet out of the water. Pogue, too, stared into the dark water in shocked amazement.

"What –?" I started to ask, before I saw it too.

A silver, shimmering cloud under the water, easily seen among the blackness. Reid hadn't noticed it yet, too intent on his ritual game, but I froze when I saw the shape it was condensing into, Using to improve my sight, letting me see before the others could make it out…

"_Chase_," I whispered, shocked, too stunned to Use, to do anything. What was going on – was that a ghost?

But why was he holding a sword?

"Reid! Get out of there!" Pogue yelled, startling me. The coach jogged over to us, mouth open to yell at us – for yelling, ironically, but he shut it with a snap when he saw what lay under the water.

"Garwin! Up – NOW!" He shouted, worry colouring his tone, his eyes fixed on the threatening silver. I didn't know what he thought it was – hopefully, without Power-enhanced eyes, he couldn't make out Chase's shape through the water – chemicals of some kind, probably, that might hurt one of his prize swimmers.

If my mate heard either of them, they were ignored – he kept going down, and even now, I could envy him his grace and smooth, natural talent he always flaunted when he moved.

I saw his nose brush against the floor, saw his grin as he pushed off, slowly, letting the physics of his body density carry him upwards.

Saw him freeze as he saw the ghost for the first time. Saw his face marred with terror, confusion, saw him try to scream.

Saw him start to drown.

I started to panic, Power flooding my eyes, my blood, Singing so loud in my ears I couldn't hear myself think – or was that because it had burned away all my thoughts?

Pogue, sensing someone Using, turned to me, his eyes widening when he saw mine. "Caleb, no! Not here!" He whispered urgently, darting glances to the humans around us.

I couldn't bring myself to care. "He's _drowning_, Pogue!" I snarled, and, as if that settled it – which, for me, it _did_ – I took a single, darting dive, ripping through the water brutally, ignoring the coach's shouting.

Almost instantly, I was beside Reid, struggling not to panic even further as he floated, limp and boneless, ethereal in the half-light under the water. I grabbed him under the arms, kicking as hard as I could to get us _out_, up and _out_ where he could _breathe_.

The moment I burst out, gasping for breath, Reid was hauled out of my grip, pulled roughly to be lain down on the tiles, and a moment later I was panting on the ground beside him, on hands and knees, Tyler having yanked me out of the water.

My vision was blurry, my limbs trembling, and I didn't understand. What was happening to me? Getting Reid out wasn't particularly difficult and I hadn't tired myself out. I frowned, even as I shook.

Suddenly, I gasped, collapsing to the floor as I clenched my stomach, biting my lip to stop myself screaming, tasting blood and not caring, not when it felt like someone had set me on fucking _fire_, burning and scorching and branding every cell of my blood. And, gods above, it was _agony_. I writhed against the stone, desperate for it's coolness, for the aching cold it gifted my skin that was hot and red and _burning_, fucking _burning_ and I could do nothing except try not to fucking _scream_.

One of my Brothers must have alerted the coach, because suddenly he was there, ordering someone to call an ambulance and alert the headmaster, and I could hear Reid choking, gasping, and knowing he was breathing now helped me bear it, helped me deal with this fucking pain that was ripping me apart from the inside out.

Even more so when he grabbed my wrist, and just the feel of his skin on mine started to brush the pain away, stop it hurting, even though I could almost taste the desperation in him. "Caleb?" _Caleb? Don't you dare fucking die! What's wrong with you?!_

_I don't – AH! _I screamed as the pain came back full force, unable to stop it flowing through any outlet it could find – including our bond. It stormed through like a river in flood, bursting the mental banks I created in desperation, trying to spare my mate this pain – but I couldn't hold it.

I closed my eyes against the tears as I heard Reid scream, shriek inside both our heads and the sound echoing off the walls of the pool, throwing the watchers back as if it had been a physical blow to them all, only Pogue and Tyler standing close, the Warrior kneeling at my side, protective of the protector, Tyler ordering the coach to call our parents, forget the headmaster. Our coach, glad to be given surety, ran off to do just that after ordering the rest of them not to even _touch _the water.

"Pogue," I groaned, trying to open my hot-lidded eyes, trying to find him with sight that couldn't see, vision cloudy and misty as if I were looking through quartz, "get the Book. We need it. There had to be something –"

Reid screamed again, writhing, and my heart ached, needing to stop the pain but unable to even hold my own, because I was burning up, burningburningburning and it was _killing _both of us.

Chase's POV

Jerking back, I released my hold on the water, letting it fall back into the river it had come from, leaving no sign it had ever been.

Ignoring – for the moment – the questioning glance from the Morrigan, I concentrated on calming my breathing, my knuckles white as they clutched the snow-leopard that was my hilt.

It wasn't that I was scared – just shocked. I hadn't expected a reaction so soon after beginning the spell – and I'd expected to create a Shadow somewhere up or down the river. Not in the human world. And _certainly_ not in my old swimming pool, of all places.

A shock. To see Reid again, when he had dissolved into a forgotten memory for me, seeing him real and alive as I hadn't thought of him – or the others – for a long time. I'd forgotten they existed, in a way. Even though I was bound to them closer than I ever could be to my Lady.

And to see him looking back at me, see the glowing threads that wound from his heart chakra, the energy point above his breast, to somewhere above the water, to Caleb – well, I hadn't been expecting _that_ either. Reid, the Peace-Keeper? The idea was laughable, but obviously true.

Would this complicate things? Not at all. He would have become a submissive mate once the bond was triggered – I grinned at the thought of the mental turmoil he had to be going through, to become someone the total opposite of who he was – and thus the same means would achieve my end.

Quickly, I explained what had happened. Instead of asking questions, going further into the theory, I had a sudden moment when the lines blurred, when logic became something twisted and unreal.

"Might I try again?" I asked, my voice soft, my eyes blank as a swirling maelstrom seemed to gather strength from the corners of my mind, preparing, growing. Readying.

Without waiting for an answer, I reached out with Power, summoning fire to lick at the fallen branches littering the banks, uncaring for the dampness of the wood, simply increasing the heat until it burned, reaching out with flickering fingers.

Smiling a smile I'd not felt mar my mouth before, I threw pure Power at it, feeling the emotions that bound the spell – passion, longing, want, heat, anger – and Shaped it, sent it through the veil between worlds, the small hole I'd created with the water spell, sending it to the one person I hated most in any world.

Caleb.

Pogue's POV

Everything in me was crying for me to _do something_ when my Alpha started screaming.

It was _wrong_. Everything about this situation was just _wrong_, against all my instincts. Alphas _were never weak_, they were _never hurt_. They were strong and powerful and _there_, the protectors. They didn't need protecting themselves. That was just…something they got on without.

But I didn't know how to help. The other students were milling around near the walls, freaked and staring, whispering, unsure and uncertain – even Aaron was pale. Caleb was _strong_ – he never got wound up, never got mad, and he was the kind of person you couldn't hurt if you tried. Seeing him like this…I wasn't the only one freaked.

I could only stand there helpless, his flushed skin so hot I could feel it from where I stood, hands fisted at my sides as I fought to keep the Power out of my eyes. It wouldn't help us anyway.

Tyler was at Caleb's side, trying to get past his mental walls and help him from the inside, and I'd have helped him if I could – but I had no mental training. I had no idea how to do that, wasn't even sure what mental walls _were_. I was useless!

And then Reid collapsed to the floor, letting go one ear-piercing scream that cut through the air, that stabbed at everyone listening –

Before he went still.

Caleb's POV

When Reid went silent, I felt it – as if someone had dropped Mt. Everest on top of me, the pain unimaginable, indescribable. There was suddenly a void where there had been my mate, a silence where I could hear his thoughts, feel his emotions. It felt like a part of me had died.

And I panicked, Power flooding into my eyes as they shot open, and if they hadn't been black they would have been blood-shot, the heat in my skin shattering the delicate blood vessels there.

Tyler jerked back as I arched off the floor, blood trailing from my mouth as I bit my lip, trying _so hard_ not to scream with this burning agony and with the mind-numbing fear for Reid, my body spasming painfully, no longer under my control. Power flowed through me, fast and strong, trying to heal – but there was nothing to fix. There was no wound, no sickness, no weakness.

My panic was growing and growing with each passing second, and all I wanted was for the humans to get _out_, so I could blast my body into pieces, not have to live with this anymore, so I could send a Shadow to my mother, beg her to come and get me, cast a shield around my mate, protect him as best I could from this…

I went under the next wave of pain, my vision going black, and my head lolled onto the floor.

Tyler's POV

I was starting to panic. Reid had stilled, completely, his eyes blank and glazed, his body as weak and lifeless as a doll – but his skin was still red, still hot, still scorched as though someone had thrown him into a fire.

Power, when I touched his temples to send it through skin-contact, had no effect, everything telling me there was _nothing to heal_. It didn't make sense, I couldn't understand. There were huge, thick, powerful walls around his mind, shielding it, shutting everyone out – and there was no gate to let us in.

For a moment, I frowned. Why would Reid want to keep us out this badly?

And then Pogue grabbed my shoulder, dragging me to Caleb, and my brain short-circuited.

If I hadn't been so desperate to refuse what my eyes were telling me, I would have said he was dead.


	13. The Lines Blur

**Hi everyone! I'm sorry it's been so long since I updated, but, as some of you know, I moved house recently and my internet access has been…spazzy, shall we say. It's not going to get sorted out until the end of the month, so if I don't update for a while, that's why, okay? **

**I'd just like to say thankyou to everyone who reviewed while I was away – thanks guys! You're all so nice! – and I would like to re-open the votes on a sequel. The next chapter will contain info on said sequel, so if you don't want one better vote against, because I'll have to re-write chapter thirteen, yes? So, state very clearly in your reviews whether or not you're voting for a sequel.**

**Also – on another vote – Chase/Ty. It's pretty obvious that's the second pairing now, no? So – happy ending for these guys, or a tragedy? Caleb and Reid WILL have a happily-ever-after. That is NOT up for debate. Now, the Ty/Chase thing is important because, if they have a tragic ending, then there's no sequel. I need them to be happy at the end to write **_**But Light Burns Brighter in the Dark**_**, aka, number 2. So. Get voting, peeps!!!**

_Chapter Twelve – The Lines Blur_

Chase's POV

I watch the scene from the water of the pool, looking through the windows that are the little puddles of water scattered across the room, even the drops of liquid in people's hair. I'm watching as Caleb writhes, his skin burning, his _own body _the fire that is killing him.

And I laugh.

_Tell me, Caleb_, I murmur to myself as I watch him still. _How are you going to heal yourself – when it's _you_ that's the sickness? _

"Mageling! Attend me!"

I watch as Power floods him, trying to heal, to repair, to fix what is broken. I watch as his back arches off the tiles, off the only source of coolness he can find, into the air, as if he's trying to get away from the fire. I watch as his throat constricts, as his eyes glaze, as he collapses, limp and _weak_.

_How does it feel to be weak, Caleb? _

"Mageling!"

I can hear the Morrigan yelling my name, from Otherworld, from the rock before me, but my spirit is here, watching this, watching what I have done to them, and _enjoying it_.

A blast of golden Power knocks me into the water of the river, and I lose grasp of the spell, both of them, as the cold water slams me back into my body. Threads of fire shatter, the windows close shut with a snap, and I know Caleb will be released, my spell broken.

I'm on my feet in moments, blade drawn, ready, challenging my Lady, anger burning hot and dark.

"Why did you do that?" I snarled, furious that Caleb would remain unscathed, that he was still alive. He didn't _deserve_ it – didn't deserve _any _of it; his family, his friends, his school, his pack, his Power. He took it all for granted, everything that I'd wanted all my life. He had _no idea_ who I was, what lay behind my black eyes, and yet he had the audacity to curse me, to fight me, try and kill me, send me to another _world_.

She gazed at the pointed tip of my sword, her eyes shuttered. "Because your lines blur."

Confused, the anger in me vanished, and my arm dropped. "What?"

She raised an eyebrow, staring pointedly at the blade I had so recently been wielding at_ her_. "Your Power is beginning to burn out your mind, mageling. You took joy from another's pain, while uncaring of the harm you caused to an innocent."

"Caleb isn't _innocent_," I snarled, angry again, my fingers clutching reflexively at the snow-leopard hilt of my blade. "He's the one that caused _all the wrongs!_"

"Listen to yourself speak!" She snapped, unfolding her body gracefully to stand, in a move so sudden I jerked back. "Your life was destroyed long before you even knew of him! And I was not speaking of Caleb!"

I dropped my sword as my logic returned full-force, the lines once again clear and crystal-sharp. I could see with clarity what I had done.

"Reid," I whispered, dropping to my knees, not noticing the water that now came up to my waist.

"Yes, the mate." She stepped down, started walking to the shore. "Mageling, come."

I followed her, dazed, unable to come to terms with what I'd done. I had _laughed_ as Caleb _burned_ – me, who knew how painful that was.

_Because he did it to you_, a voice whispered.

_Two wrongs don't make a right!_ I told myself fiercely, shaking my head as if to dislodge such thoughts.

_Why not? _

I couldn't answer that question. And it worried me, as my Lady and I made our way through the trees.

Tyler's POV

He _wasn't fucking breathing_.

Neither of them, my Alpha and the Peace-Keeper. Chests still as stone, eyes blank and staring, glazed with dark shadows – not flooded with Power, but misty with it, like looking through a dirty window.

Pogue knelt down beside Caleb, running his hands lightly over the scorched form, and I knew the heat was burning his fingertips. My own were hot and sore from when I'd done it, trying to heal a hurt that didn't seem to exist.

There was nothing I could do, not until the ambulance got here, not until someone from the Covenant, a healer, got here and _did something_.

And I was panicking.

Abruptly, I stood up, moving over to Reid, turning him over onto his back. He had crashed to the floor with a scream, his demise much more violent than Caleb's, and no one had gone near him. The other students – the _mortals_ – were milled around the walls, staying a careful distance away from the two fallen ones.

_Come on Reid…Come ON!_ I closed my eyes to hide the black ebony filling my eyes, trying, desperately, to _heal_. _Come on…_

Nothing. There were no notes to change in his body's Song, no skipped beats or mangled rhythm. Everything said that there was _nothing wrong_ – and yet, he didn't breathe.

_Fucking HELL, Reid!_ I swore, eyeing his bare chest. How long can a human go without breathing? Not long. At least we'd managed to get the water out of his lungs when Caleb brought him up – otherwise we'd have a much bigger problem.

Power was building up, the tension tingling in my fingertips, _literally _itching to Use, but I wasn't that great at healing. If I risked trying to jump-start his lungs…I could end up frying them with too much energy, and then not even my father, the Covenant healer, would be able to save him.

Come on, come on…Where was that bloody ambulance?

The ambulance finally arrived, full six minutes and twenty-nine seconds after Caleb stilled.

Four minutes and seventeen seconds since we were able to find a pulse.

A minute and forty-three seconds since he stopped breathing.

I didn't understand how any of that was possible. How can you have a heart beat when no part of you is moving, even your chest? How can you breathe when your heart stops?

How can you be alive when neither your heart nor your lungs are working?

I didn't know. But I needed there to be an answer.

My Alpha was lain on a stark white stretcher, his arm trailing, his body, while still hot and red, still as stone and weak as water. His head rolled to the side as they moved him, and I choked back a sob as his blank eyes met mine.

_He has to live. He _has _to._

Reid had collapsed too, but he still had a pulse – albeit a very, very weak one. He wasn't breathing, but I wasn't going to panic while _something_ was still working.

They took him away, and I ignored the rest of the students and the coach, diving back into the changing rooms to get my uniform on, tugging Pogue in after me, and we were out of the building in minutes.

We had to get to the Council. Had to warn them that the humans now had two Users – neither of which was breathing.

Caleb's POV

At some point, when I hadn't been paying attention, it had gotten very, very cold.

And dark. Cold and dark.

Why hadn't I noticed?

Pogue's POV

We took my bike, running the whole way, leaving our bags where they lay, forgetting them in the panic that was forcing its way past our walls. I was going to scream, Power singing its Song loud and fierce in my ears – a war-song, a call to battle, and I longed with everything in me to answer it.

This had something to do with that silver cloud in the water. And something to do with Chase.

That was what Caleb had said, when his eyes faded from his spell, when he had improved his eyes to see what we couldn't. _Chase._

Could the bastard not leave us alone? Even now he was _dead?_

I didn't even think as I swung onto the saddle, Tyler hesitating only a second before clambering on behind me, fastening his light hands around my waist. I grinned as I sensed his blush, but I didn't comment. It was _Tyler_, for crying out loud – and besides, even if the rest of the Covenant were all gay or bi – joy – I didn't swing that way.

Great. Out of this generation, I was the only straight one of us. Hilarious.

No flashbacks veiled my vision as we roared past the light traffic, turning and bending through the corners, just to get a gasp out of Ty as we swung so low to the ground he could have touched it with his nose if he'd turned his head. It was hilarious, and I laughed, letting my confidence back past the barriers I'd erected to stay safe.

Maybe being safe wasn't a necessity.

It took us only minutes before we drew up outside the Simms Manor, the gravel crunching beneath the wheels of my bike as I parked, leaning my weight to the side to prop it on the stand.

I waited for the Youngest to dismount.

"Tyler?" I asked, finally, after waiting for what felt like far too long, considering the possible states of our other Brothers. "Going to get off some time today?"

He didn't say anything for a second, then,

"Um…I don't think I can."

I frowned. "Why?"

Another silence.

"Um…I…Can't really…Move."

"Again – why?"

A pause.

"I think…the ride here…Scared the hell outa me, and…Now…" He trailed off, and I rolled my eyes, biting back a grin.

"Okay," I said, solemnly, and I knew he was glaring, hearing the faked concern and seriousness in my voice. "I'll help you."

Without waiting another moment, I pushed him off, swinging my leg over to dismount elegantly while he crashed onto the ground, landing on his arse, sprawled in the gravel.

I couldn't help laughing at his shocked and indignant expression.

He was just about to start yelling at me, when a voice behind us made us both freeze.

"And what would the two of you be doing here?"

Slowly, we turned – at least, I did, Tyler just moved his head – and instantly relaxed to see the Simms patriarch, Gerald, Tyler's dad. His iron grey hair, cut short and dusted with black, matched perfectly with his storm-shade eyes, that were inspecting us from under raised eyebrows. His arms were crossed over his chest, garbed in a white button-up shirt, with mother-of-pearl cufflinks, and black suit trousers.

I frowned over his clothes – what had be he been doing, to be dressed like that? – but concentrated when Tyler stood up next to me, brushing dirt off his uniform.

"Dad – we've got news."

Chase's POV

I couldn't get the idea of what I'd done out of my mind, even as I tried to concentrate on moving through the trees without making a sound. But it didn't work – by now, moving silently was second nature, I didn't have to think about it, and trying to only made my mind wander…

Right back to where I'd started.

"Mageling."

I looked up, took notice of my surroundings as the Morrigan called me from my thoughts, and I winced inwardly at her expression.

Disappointment. All this time, she had never been disappointed with me – frustrated, amused, annoyed, angered, pleased –

But never disappointed.

"My Lady?" I whispered, ashamed of myself – and still fighting to know I was in the wrong, to not turn and stare through skewed vision at the world and demand to know why she thought I was wrong. Forcing myself to believe that Reid was an innocent, that Caleb, while…not great, could hardly be blamed for _everything_.

Her face seemed to be carved of stone, gold-tinted marble, and I couldn't face it for long. Shaky, uncertain, I curled up on the ground, bringing my knees to my chest and letting my sword fall at my side. It was as if my Self was wavering, blurred in vagueness and insecurity.

There's a silence, so tense and harsh it hurts, the air stretched to breaking point between us, and I'm starting to understand how seriously she sees this.

"Lady?" I whisper again, when I can't take it anymore, when the Power's song grows too loud to ignore, alerted by the adrenalin that's pooling in my blood, knowing something's wrong.

She just stares at me, and I struggle not to whimper, not to push myself further away, hard and unyielding against the tree at my back.

"I have no words to say what must be said, mageling." She said, finally, and I breathed a sigh of relief that she was talking at all. "At once, this is both unforgivable and understandable. I have not been faced with this situation before." She sounded slightly amazed, that there was still something new for her in existence, and I wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or not.

I wanted to question her, ask what she meant, but my voice had dried up in my throat. Guilt and horror were warring in me, and at the same time, my mind felt like it was blurring, coming undone, and it was _terrifying_.

She sighed. "It seems I underestimated the necessity of your becoming grounded. I assumed that, with the Dreaming Place, we would be able to significantly extend your training." She gazed at me, her gold eyes expressionless. "I was, quite obviously, wrong."

"Oh," I whispered, unsure of what else to say. "What…What does that mean, then?"

She uncrossed her arms suddenly, turned on her heel, and, from a standing position, leapt into the tree closest to her, twisting mid-jump to land on a thick branch, which she elegantly sat down on. I didn't even flinch – I was used to her sudden moves by now.

"I think," she mused, swinging her legs, weight braced on her arms, "that you must spend almost all your time in the Dreaming Place now. You have mastered everything I have taught you, though you should practise the element-magics whenever you are awake – thus, there is no need for you to be awake with me any longer. I would send you back to your own world, but something urges me to wait." She frowned, cocking her head. "I am not sure what, but time has taught me to listen to my instincts. We shall wait seven days, and then you shall leave."

I sat stunned, my body frozen. _A week! _I had a week left in this calm, this freedom, before I had to go back? I shut my eyes against the tears, my eyes burning. I wanted to stay, more than anything else I'd ever wanted. Was it worth losing my sanity if I could stay here, just a little longer?

_Better a life of freedom, however short, than a life shackled to Caleb,_ I thought, even as I shrank away from the thought of my death, of insanity. Why was it so complicated? Why couldn't I have been born normal, instead of one of the bloody Five? Was it so much to ask for, to be someone I wanted to be? Instead of someone who was going to become a murderer or lose their mind?

What kind of a choice is that?

I nodded, my eyes still closed. "Okay. In one week, I go."

Tyler's POV

My dad nodded, turning on his heel without a word and leading us towards the manor, gravel crunching under his shoes. Pogue and I exchanged glances, his questioning, mine a shrug, before we followed him in.

He led us to the non-formal reception room, where the same painting hung above the mantel as in Caleb's house. And all the other Manors…I had to find out what it meant some day.

But now wasn't the time. My father sat down with easy grace, his arms still crossed, expression unreadable, and Pogue and I took the sofa, neither of us particularly relaxed.

For a moment, none of us spoke, the tension rising until it was nearly solid, until I was breathing it in and out, the taste stale in my mouth. I wanted nothing more than to spill everything about what had happened, about Caleb and Reid, but I knew from experience to let the family patriarch speak first.

Pogue was about to speak – he didn't have the same kind of relationship with _his_ father – when he finally spoke.

"So what is it that has you here, at this time of day? Shouldn't you both be out and about with the other two?" Dark eyes scanned us both, and I had to forcibly remind myself that he was a Healer, not a telepath. Thankfully. How incredibly awful would it be if your _father_ could read your thoughts?!

"We were all at swimming practice," Pogue began, holding his hands clasped together as he shifted into a more comfortable position, his first and last fingers left up. "Reid was swimming his ten laps, and we were waiting for him to finish…"

"And then there was this silver stuff in the pool," I interrupted, and my dad's vision slid over to me, almost all-seeing, as if he knew what we had to say without being told. "Caleb said it was Chase, and he dived in to get Reid when he started drowning…"

My father frowned. "Explain."

"We're not really sure what happened," Pogue explained. "One moment everything was fine, then Reid…It looked as if he tried to scream, but underwater, you know? So he started to drown, and Caleb freaked, diving in to get him out."

The Simms patriarch nodded solemnly, as if thinking deeply. "Please, continue."

I nodded. "Well, everything was okay once they were both out – we got the water out of Reid's lungs, he was breathing fine, and then…" I struggled to explain what happened, gesturing wildly with my hands to give an impression of my state of mind.

"Then he started screaming," Pogue murmured quietly, and I knew how much it had taken to say that. It just seemed instinctively _wrong_, that Caleb could be in pain. That he could be weaker than anything else, somehow. I couldn't explain it – but even before he's become Alpha in the true sense of the word, even when we were kids…He was just Caleb. The leader, the one who kept us out of trouble, the one who stood up for us against the adults. He was _strong_.

My dad seemed very worried about this, twisting his hands as I'd never seen him do. "But…Caleb is your Alpha, is he not?"

We nodded as one. "But what does that have to do with it?" Pogue asked, a note of frustration starting to thread through his voice.

My dad ignored him, his eyes shuttering us out, his finger tips darting in gestures not made for us. I was confused – what was he doing?

After what felt like an hour, he looked back up at us. "The rest of the Families have been alerted to the situation. I am assuming Caleb and Reid were taken to the hospital?"

I nodded. "Yeah. How are you going to get them out?"

"Forget that!" Pogue snarled, standing, as if his body was filled with too much energy to just sit and listen anymore. "They weren't _breathing_ when the ambulances arrived! They didn't have a _heartbeat!_ All I want to know is if they're going to be okay!"

My father stared at him easily, no hint of concern or worry visible anywhere. "Don't worry about it, Warrior. It will be taken care of. If you wish," and here he looked to me, "you could perhaps visit the Power's Seat and look through the books there. Perhaps there is information that could explain things to you. However," and here he stood, and Pogue scowled when he realised the Simms patriarch was just a little taller than him, "I do not have time to take care of your concerns. I have to go; as Healer to the Families, I will be needed, I think."

And with that, he turned and left the room, without so much as a backward glance.

For a moment, neither of us said anything.

"Tyler?"

"Yeah?"

Silence.

"Sometimes...I really don't like your dad."


	14. You Can Live Without Breath

**I'm baaaaaaaack! Aren't you pleased to see me??? )grins( I'm SO SORRY this took so long, I was just STUCK with this chapter. But I think it's turned out more-or-less ok…Can't say I like Pogue's bit, seems a bit OC, but I did my best.**

**Right, its official – this chapter confirms that there will be a sequel. The voting is now over, the plot is SET IN STONE. At least until my addled mind decides its not, that is. )grins( **

**Enjoy, and please review!!!**

**peeks out from behind Siav Urm…hi? My name's Kitty. waves Mesa is betta-reader (aka. The person who made the chapter even _later_). Hope you enjoy. Um, bye! hides**

* * *

_Chapter Thirteen – You Can Live Without Breath_

Reid's POV

It was so _cold_. Absolutely freezing, as if someone had taken me to the North Pole in my swimming trunks and just _dumped_ me there.

Everything in me felt numb, and I wasn't sure how much of that was the cold and how much was the velvet darkness wrapped around me. It was sort of soft, but I couldn't really feel it.

My eyes blinked, but the dark didn't go away. I couldn't see. Was that a problem? I couldn't remember. I couldn't remember a lot, actually. There was water, and something silver…and the silver had terrified me, for some reason. Why?

I blinked again, and this time the darkness grew a little lighter. Intrigued, I did it again – and again – and again, until I could start to see the misty outlines of something Other.

_Peace-Keeper. _

That meant something to me. Something vaguely important, but I couldn't really remember.

_It means you are mate to your Alpha. _

_Who is my Alpha? _I asked the awareness, the silvery voice that whispered from the shadows. It didn't sound like a girl…but it wasn't a guy, either.

The voice laughed. _The one you call Caleb_.

_Caleb! I remember him! _And I did – the moment the voice had said the name, a face had formed in my mind's eye – or wherever this was. I wasn't really sure. Dark hair, serious eyes that could shine with laughter, a mouth that tasted delicious. _I remember him…_

_That is good. You must take care of him, Peace-Keeper. There are those who wish him harm, though through no fault of their own. Do you understand?_

_Um, no. Not really. _I could feel my Self coming back together, and with it, memories coming back, piecing together to form Me.

The voice laughed. _That is well. If mortals understood everything, life would be far more dull. But…you are not a mortal, are you, Reid Garwin?_

I was confused – if I'd had a body, I would have frowned. _I'm mortal!...aren't I?_

Again, that silvery laughter. _Ah, Peace-Keeper, you will be so much fun some day! No, you are not mortal, and neither are your kin – at least, they will not be. But do not worry over it – the third full moon of your twenty-first year is not for some time yet. _

_What are you talking about? _

I sensed a shrug, and an indulgent smile. _As I said, do not fret. There are more important things just now. I have to return you to your world._

And I remembered. _Oh gods! Am I dead? It really, really hurt, and I think it was Chase's ghost – _

_You are…not exactly dead. You and your age-mates, the others of Caleb's pack, have a great purpose to fulfil some day, and so we cannot allow you to die just yet. There is much to do before you return to the Twilight. _

_Seriously, what are you talking about? _I was confused, and a little frustrated. And scared – but I wouldn't admit that to _anyone_.

_Don't worry. Tell Tyler his patron sends her greetings. _

_Wait! What's going on? Who are – _

_Fare thee well, Reid Garwin, Peace-Keeper of the Covenant. _

And then I woke up, slammed into my body like a falling aeroplane.

Groaning, I sat up, my hand reaching up to touch the back of my head. It felt sore, bruised – I must have hit my head when I fell on the floor, back at the pool.

Opening my eyes, I came face-to-face with three or four white-coats, doctors, and another two surgeons, each holding scalpels and…other sharp things.

I pointed at said sharp things. "Those are not going _anywhere near me_. Got that?"

They just stared at me, as if I'd just risen from the dead or something.

Oh. Right. Yeah.

Grinning sheepishly, I gave a little wave. "Uh…Hi."

They just stared, jaws dropped.

This…could be a problem.

Chase's POV

It was only a few seconds before I closed my eyes, unable to bear the harsh reality that was pressing down on me – if you could call the Otherworld reality. I didn't want to go, and I didn't want to face the fact that yes – in seven days I was to return to the world that hated me. Hated my blood and bone for something I'd had no control over.

Deep breath. In – out. Just…just breathe.

Almost unconsciously, I _let go_.

When I opened my eyes, the sky was dark, shadowed iron, and the water that stretched out before me was like black silk – still and quiet. The flying lights shone in its surface, their reflections like candles, and the crystalline trees shone gently.

I didn't question it, just let my body fall, as if cast aside, unwanted, to land amidst the soft grass, arms and legs spread-eagled. Like a little kid making a snow-angel.

A pang ached in my chest at the thought, and I struggled with myself, hands clenching on the slim stalks of black-green. I'd never made a snow-angel.

_Get over it_, I snarled to myself, angry at the tears that threatened, that burned. _So what? You got so much more than that! _

My response to that – my real thoughts, not this rant I was trying to convince myself was true – wasn't formed of words. Just feelings and impressions.

So I couldn't answer it. Tried to ignore it.

And waited for the other boy to come back.

Pogue's POV

We did as Gerald said – we went to Power's Seat.

The motorbike roared through the too-silent roads, the wind the only sound besides the engine, but neither of us were strong enough to break the silence.

Power's Seat is carved out of stone – literally. When the Families first arrived in Ipswich, they carved a great cave – a series of caves, really – out of the cliffs at the coast. They were originally created in case the fear of the witch hunts followed them – which they did, incidentally – so that there was somewhere the Families could retreat to, somewhere to hide. Now, though, it's where the library is stored – the ultimate collection of information on the Power and those that Use it – and, of course, Power's Seat itself, the cavern belonging only to the current generation coming into their Power.

That's us, in case you didn't get it.

I parked the bike on top of the cliffs, leaning it up against a tree and covering it with a Glamour, since there was no where to lock it's chain. Tyler was already searching for the knot in the tree trunk, running his hands over the knurled wood, whispering softly under his breath.

I waited. The ocean roared down below us, crashing against the cliffs, screaming its fury. There was going to be a storm later – the horizon was inky black: a bad one.

"We shouldn't be here, Tyler," I muttered, staring at the clouds. "If we're here when that hits us…"

He ignored me, finally finding the right spot – his thumb pressed against it and a section of the trunk smoothly slid inwards and sideways, yawning open with the sound of wood on wood.

I followed him in, sliding the door shut behind us. Instantly, everything went dark, but it didn't bother either of us. We'd been down these steps since we were kids, up and down a thousand times – we weren't going to trip.

Tyler's POV

The stairs cut through miles of rock, but the silence wasn't unbearable, just like the darkness worked for us. If we'd been chased, if we were escaping down these steps, we could run safely, never missing a single step – an enemy probably wouldn't last five minutes.

Deactivating the spell-traps as I went, we finally managed to get down to the caves. The moment my foot left the worn steps, lights flared all around us, candles lighting in all directions, a wave of light flowing through the caves. The tunnel ran three ways, a three-branched crossroads; left, straight ahead, and right, each one marked with a different symbol.

Pogue and I took the second road, walking straight ahead, not even looking down the other two. There are some places we do not go – the left road was one of them. Whatever was down there, the Elders alone knew – and the very air was so terrifying Reid had only gotten a few feet down the tunnel before the atmosphere grew unbearable and he had to come back, disappointed.

The tunnel branched off at seemingly random points, leading to a mix of chambers full of books and candles, crystals, paintings – and dead ends. The place was a maze, and if you didn't know your way like the back of your hand you were dead, the rock around you becoming your grave.

But that wasn't going to happen to us – candle-light flickering over our faces, we found the archway leading to Power's Seat, the darkness all-encompassing, leading downwards.

More steps.

As we touched level ground again, the fire flared up hot and bright in the centre of the room, burning through the lines of the pentagram etched onto the platform. As if answering a signal, candles all over the room lit themselves without a whisper, their light caressing the leather-bound books on the shelves, the five benches where each of us had a place – Pogue, me, Caleb, Reid…

_Chase_.

I walked across the room, running my hands over the books, looking for something useful – but I was walking blind: I had no idea what I was looking for. A historical account? A book on Healing? Bond-mates? _What?_

Pogue was doing the same on the other side – no need for words. I wondered, as I took a book down, opening to the contents page, if he felt as wrong being here as I did. We weren't meant to be here without Caleb – and, even though I'd done it a hundred times, studying on my own, it never lost the feeling of wrongness.

One book, two books…four, five, eight. It went on and on, and the tension kept growing, the silence heightening it, lying unbroken between the candle-strewn walls.

As I was pulling yet another volume from the shelves, silver-threaded blackness slid over my eyes, sudden, sharp, harsh – _wrong_.

It wasn't mine.

Pogue turned, maybe feeling someone Using, but I couldn't move. I felt physically sick, nausea curling around my stomach, bile burning in my throat, pain flowing through me like a wave, almost too fast to comprehend. Ice. Cold, cold ice dissolving through me, blood-muscle-bone, freezing, hard, unbroken, and…I…

I went limp as the cold flowed through the back of my eyes, curling around my mind, vine-like tendrils weaving around my head.

Choking. Grasping. Strong.

I fell to the ground, the book slipping from my fingers, and I couldn't hear whatever Pogue was saying as I smashed into the cold stone, my eyes fluttering closed.

_So cold._

Dr. Murphy's POV

To be sure that I wasn't making some kind of irrational mistake, I glanced towards the life-support machines that had been completely blank only seconds ago, the simplistic red and green lines of light straight as boards – but no. They were jagged, death-defying lightning bolts, rhythmic crashes that ripped through the vague blackness and smashed into his heart, jolting it back to life.

Maybe. Or maybe I was just getting too poetic.

I turned my head, still watching the patient from the corner of my eye. "Nurse Stevenson?"

"Yes, doctor?" She answered, and she, too, had her murky hazel eyes fixed on the blonde-haired boy on the hospital bed.

I turned back to the boy – young man, really, I supposed – as I gave my instructions. "Please alert his family that he has…recovered. Ask his parental guardian to come and speak to me, please."

Hesitating, she nodded slowly, pulling her gaze away from the blonde and slipping out the door.

As if it were some cue they had all been waiting for, everyone else in the emergency room began clearing away, albeit unusually quiet, with none of the usual relief and self-approval that would normally accompany the saving of a life.

Because this boy had been _dead_. Dead for thirteen minutes. The room was already half-cleared, everyone had already started putting things away, murmuring in quiet, calm voices – death didn't have as much of a sting when you saw it every day.

The nurse pushed the heavy door a tad open – a painful reminder of _why_ we'd had to put him in an anti-contagion ward, since it had been impossible to actually find out what was wrong with him. I'd feared some kind of exotic fever, and given the order for a lock-down – but it didn't seem necessary anymore.

I checked through the vitals, took the protesting boy's temperature, blood pressure, breathing, everything I could think of – but it was all flawless. As if he'd just ended up here by accident, completely healthy.

I couldn't understand it.

"Doctor?"

I looked up from checking a list of perfectly normal vitals, my gaze meeting that of a particularly well-dressed man. He stared back with unashamed confidence, not crossing the line far enough to be called arrogance but enough to make me sweat a little.

"I am Mr. Simms," he stated calmly, crossing his arms in front of his chest, ignoring my outstretched hand. "And I shall be taking Reid home now."

I frowned, letting my hand fall as I reached for a clipboard, intending to show him that the boy had_ died._ Had _been dead_. "Sir, I'm sorry, but I can't allow you to do that just yet. There are some things we have to go over –"

The man ignored me, turning on his heel to the blonde. "Reid, wait for me outside. The black rucksack on the chair has a set of your clothes inside – go get changed and meet me in the waiting room in fifteen minutes."

I opened my mouth to protest, but the boy was already clambering out of the hospital bed, glaring down at the stark white hospital gear he was wearing, muttering under his breath about how he wouldn't normally be caught dead in it.

Something told me he'd meant me to overhear that, and I couldn't help but glance at him warily as he slipped out the door, nodding at this…Mr. Simms.

Who then turned to me with onyx-eyes, locking me in place. "Now, doctor, I shall need everyone who witnessed this to return to this room immediately…"

Reid's POV

_Bleep. Bleep. Bleep._

The black screen hummed softly to itself, darting lines of electric green and red the mirror of Caleb's heart-beat, as steady and strong as he was himself.

I held my head in one hand, leaning my elbow on my knee, watching him. I had my clothes back – like I'd have stayed in that god-awful hospital smock for one minute longer than I had to – and I was sitting on the cot next to his, legs crossed under me, a glass of water sitting untouched on the bedside table.

Watching him sleep.

He looked incredibly wrong, lying limp in a hospital bed, his head to one side, black hair messy with sleep. Weak and vulnerable, his omnipresent strength dissolved, drained away like water down the sink. It hurt, seeing him like that, but I didn't want to look away.

Everything was messed up. How long had it been? A few days? Friday night, he'd come back from the fight with Chase…and it was, what? Monday today. Saturday, Sunday…

Monday.

Just three days for my life to get twisted inside-out and ripped out from under me. To take _my _strength away, my independence. Roped in to take care of Caleb for the rest of my life – and his. How was that fair? I didn't want it, didn't want to never be able to leave Ipswich. I wanted to travel, see the world, leave behind all the choking, claustrophobic rules and laws, the Council and the Families. Go somewhere where I could do what I wanted, when I wanted. Maybe see if there were other people like us, people who could teach me how to deal with the addiction.

I laid my head in both hands. I didn't want to die, and I knew I would without this bond to Caleb. Using was just…it was _delicious_. It was silky and seductive and it made everything go away, let you fly and burn. I wasn't weak when I Used, wasn't just a rich-boy troublemaker. I was _somebody_. I couldn't give that up, no matter how many times I got the lecture, how many times the others took me aside and begged me to stop. They didn't understand. Couldn't.

But I didn't want _this_ either! I didn't want to be here, watching Caleb because part of me was terrified something would happen, that he would suddenly get worse and whatever had made him sick would kill him. I didn't want to feel like this, didn't want to feel anything for him that I hadn't before – just an almost-brother, like I felt for Pogue and Tyler. I didn't want to be forcing back nightmares of what would happen if he _did _die.

I bit my lip, choking back a sob. Because…I _did_ want it. Part of me – no, let's tell the truth – a_ lot _of me already couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to him, still wanted to go and murder Sarah for ever having been a part of his life. Caleb was _mine_, and the thought of him touching that blonde bitch made me feel sick and angry.

_Get a grip, Reid,_ I snorted, smirking behind my fingers. _He's not yours, remember? You're his. And that's the difference, isn't it? _

"Reid?"

I turned my head, lowering my hands. Mr. Simms was standing behind me, his hand on my shoulder. He looked calm, but concerned – and my stress levels took a leap, peaking in a desperate heat.

"What's wrong?" I asked, getting to my feet – not that that would help whatever was wrong, but I had to _do_ something, and oh-gods please let Caleb be all right, don't let anything be wrong, don't –

"Caleb's fine, Reid," he soothed, and I relaxed, letting myself fall onto the bed again, sighing with relief. He was going to be ok…

Then I caught my thought, and snarled at myself, angry that I'd been so weak.

Tyler's dad cocked his head at me, frowning, but I ignored him.

"The doctors have had their memories…modified," he stated calmly, taking a seat beside me. I ignored him, wondering if he'd give out to me for not waiting for him, like he'd asked. The moment I was wearing my own clothes again, I'd attacked the nearest nurse, demanding she take me to Caleb. I'd made so much noise I didn't even have to Use on her – and now I was angry at myself for making such a big deal of it. I shouldn't _care_.

Okay, I _should._ But not this much.

Not like this.

"Tyler and Pogue are probably in the waiting room by now," Mr. Simms said suddenly. "I'm sure they're very anxious to see you."

Again, I said nothing. I wasn't sure how I felt right now, but my mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and I didn't feel that I could face my friend's stifling concern right now. Had I really died? Been dead? Then how was I alive now, breathing and living and staring at Caleb…

_Argh! _I screamed inside my head. _Stop staring at Caleb!_

I jerked my eyes away, trying desperately to ignore the gaping wound in my chest, knowing without looking that Caleb needed me here, that I _wanted_ him to need me here. I couldn't just _leave_ him, could I? He wasn't awake, he couldn't protect himself…

_Shut – up!_ I hissed, leaping off the bed as if it burned me. Tyler's father raised his eyebrows, staring pointedly at Caleb, but I walked straight past him, reaching for the heavy glass door. Like me, Caleb had been put in a contagion ward, so there was no one else here.

And, soon, there would be no one – somehow or other (I wasn't sure I wanted to know), Mr. Simms had managed to get permission to bring Caleb home.

Pogue's POV

"Tyler!" I shouted, reacting the moment he started to fall, Using to cushion his impact on the stone floor, a split second too late, instinctively catching the book he'd been holding, letting it hover a foot from the ground.

I raced to kneel next to him, turning him on his side. His nose was bleeding, too-dark blood spilling down towards his mouth, his lips cut and bruising.

Eyes wide open. Staring.

Black.

I frowned, even as I lifted him up, biting my lip as his head lolled, his entire body limp in my arms. Why would he have been Using – to pull down a book he could easily reach? It didn't make sense.

And…there was silver in the black, as slim and fine as the veins in your eye. I'd never seen that before, never heard about it.

But there wasn't time to stay and ponder. First Reid, then Caleb. Now Tyler – all of us were suddenly losing consciousness, and I'd stake my Power the other two were attacked by something. I didn't know what was wrong with Tyler, besides the fact he was cold – I wrapped a heat-shield around his body as I thought of it – but I needed to get him to a Healer. For all I knew, whatever this was, was _killing _him.

Was I next? Was somebody trying to take out the Covenant? It was a pretty smart way to do it, I could see that – kill my generation, me and my Brothers, and we were wiped out, our bloodlines gone. None of our parents were young enough to have more children – and besides, even if I died and my mother had another son, I was still the oldest male in the generation. My brother would never inherit the Power.

It made my blood _boil_ as I forced my way through the maze of tunnels, Tyler's book following me. I tried to be logical, tried not to lose it with anger and fear – fear for Tyler, fear for Caleb and Reid – were they even alive? Would I know, feel it somehow, if they died? – and anger that someone would _dare_ to attack _us_, the Covenant of Ipswich.

I grit my teeth as I reached the final spiral of stairs, leading up to the tree on the cliff. With Caleb out of action, it fell to me to protect my Brothers.

Switching the spell-traps back on as I went up, the spiral dizzying when combined with my mixed-up emotions, I bared my teeth in a savage grin, seen by none but Tyler's blank eyes.

I could do that. Could rip anyone who fought us to shreds.

I wouldn't let them hurt my Brothers.

Ever.

Reid's POV

I stood in the doorway, my hand still on the handle, knuckles white. I felt like I was carved from wood, tense and sore from moving, with every step I took, away from Caleb lying unconscious on the bed. It _hurt_ – a coiling, stabbing pain in my gut, behind my eyes, a clenching in my chest.

I grit my teeth. _That's not my heart. It's _not

Forcing the words out, trying desperately to distract myself, I glanced around the plastic-chair strewn room, the tiles stark and polished, the air conditioning far too cold for comfort.

Empty.

Frowning, I turned back to Mr. Simms. "They're not here."


	15. What I Think I Always Wanted

**Yay! I'm FINALLY DONE!!! **

**Besides the little warning for some nice Chase/Tyler action in this chapter – again, FINALLY!!! – I just want to thank everyone who reviewed while I was away. In fact, everyone who has ever reviewed this story, point-blanc. And yes, all your people who put this story on alert or favourites and never reviewed – I love you all too. )big smiles(**

**This was a very, very hard chapter to write, but I was just reading over the reviews I got for the last chapter and kind of got inspired – hence why I am thanking you all so much. I love you guys! Also – the ending of this chapter is dedicated to my beta Kitty. Because you're just the best, and because you came up with this ending with me. Thank you so much.**

**Anyways, disclaimer and summery with chapter one/prologue. Enjoy!**

* * *

_Chapter Fourteen – What I Think I Always Wanted_

Chase's POV

I didn't realise that I wasn't imagining the tendrils of Power winding out of me, gently pulling aside the veil between worlds to latch onto that which I wanted, tug it through without warning and slam the window shut behind. I didn't realise that, such was my training and the use it had been getting, my Power was restless to _do_ something, to be Used, and that it would latch onto my desires if my mind wouldn't give it anything.

I didn't realise there was another person here until they jumped up, yelling as they saw me, and I turned my head at the noise, frowning my displeasure at the interruption.

My eyes widened.

The boy from earlier, still in his uniform, was standing down by the shore of the lake, the dark water lapping at his shoes – and he looked terrified. Scared to hell and back and _pissed_.

I choked back an instinctive wave of concern, drawing myself up on an elbow, raising an eyebrow in silent question, wondering whether or not to speak. I cocked my head, waiting for his voice to split the silence, no doubt flavoured with the harsh tint of anger – because there was no doubt it was me who'd brought him here, however unintentionally.

He glared at me, but I could see past the façade of rash courage to the fear underneath easily, as if looking through a stained glass window – the pretty colours distract, but you can see past them if you concentrate. He seemed to struggle with something, his full mouth opening and closing as he found and lost the words he wanted, over and over.

But I'd already forgotten that he was no doubt mad at me – and I spoke without thinking.

"Do you know your eyes shine when you're mad?" I murmured, entranced as the crystal light from the trees shone in the near-sapphire orbs, that suddenly filled with confusion; wine poured into a chalice, filling it up, the anger dissolving in it, forgotten.

Ignored?

"Wh – what?" He asked, frowning, sitting down as if his body wasn't under his control, was doing it automatically, raising a hand to absently card through his hair.

I kept staring, watching his dark hair slide under his white fingers, my eyes following every movement. Until he must have felt my gaze, because he looked up, a faint dawn-coloured blush shading his pale cheeks, and dropped his hand as if burnt.

I grinned – feral, wild.

And maybe…Maybe just a little hungry.

"Why do you feel so familiar?" He asked suddenly, and I felt a pang of hurt that he was ignoring my own question – but then, I reminded myself, he thought I was a dream. He didn't have to listen to me. "I can't see you properly – I don't even know what colour your hair is. I can't place your voice, either – but I'd swear that I'd met your before now."

He cocked his head to the side, looking so adorably serious my grin stretched wider, noticing his blush hadn't faded. The colour looked good on him…I'd have to work on making him blush more often.

"No, really," he insisted, seeing my laughing eyes. "I know you from somewhere. It's on the tip of my tongue…"

I nearly groaned at the image that summoned – wouldn't I love to be there, my mouth hot on his, hands sliding up his silky skin, cupping his face, my eyes dark slits as I watched the shock war with pleasure in a battle of expression, until he submitted, letting me do as I wanted…

He looked at me oddly, and it wasn't helping. I clenched my fists at my sides, fighting not to just give in. He thought it was all a dream anyway…Would it really hurt, to kiss and bite and slide hot skin on hot skin, tearing moans and gasps and whimpers from that curved throat? Power didn't bind without Power; nothing I did could bind me to a mortal, so why not?

_Why not indeed? _Power whispered in my mind, my heart, a quiet, husky voice from my dark place. _You want him. We want him. _

_Have him._

I pushed myself up, into a sitting position and not lying on my elbows, watching for a reaction. He stiffened, but he let me sit up, his dark blue eyes following even the slightest movement, waiting until I was still before he let his gaze fall to the grass, plucking at a strand of green to wind it through his fingers, playing with the piece of grass thoughtfully.

I smirked – so he thought he didn't have to watch me, did he? I'd show him _just_ how bad an idea that was…

Before I could put my plan into action, however, he looked up, and I hesitated, my grin fading as I took in his expression of utter fury.

Oh.

"Why am I here?" He demanded, tossing the grass away. It didn't go far – as is the way of grass, it almost moved nowhere, ruining his angry, dramatic effect. "I was wide awake this time, in Power's Seat, not tired. And then some kind of Power _ripped_ me out of it, and dumped me _here_." He glared, running his hands through his hair again. "So?"

I shrugged, not really having listened, unable to – not with his eyes shining with passion, mouth moving in anger. It just wasn't possible. "_I_ brought you here. So what?"

His eyes widened in shock; hand falling to the ground, he looked at me with new eyes. "You…You have Power? How? I thought…"

Watching him, I didn't hear the capital letter, made assumptions that shouldn't have been made. I just saw the misted shields of ebony sliding over my eyes, drawn out and made hungry by the naïve, innocent confusion in this other's voice…

And the idea that sprang fully formed into my mind, crystal defined, shaped and moulded by the Power singing in my blood.

Tyler's POV

He grinned – dark, feral, wild. Something, again, that reminded me of someone – someone I _should_ remember, someone important…

"I can show you," he murmured, voice rough, and I felt a bone-shiver, the feel of someone Using. If I could see them, would his eyes be black? Was it that kind of Power? Or was this dream just getting more complicated?

I jerked back to reality – unreality? – when I heard the silence, realised he'd been speaking. That I'd drifted off, wondering why I was dreaming this, why my mind was showing me this. "What?"

"I can show you," he said again, getting to his feet; carefully, with restrained tension in every line of him, making me shiver, making my Power wake and perk up, take notice. "Show you what Power I have."

Again, he grinned.

And in a second I was on my back, his hand splayed on my chest, pinning me down with strength that couldn't be real, the ground hard against my back.

"Hey!" I shouted, ebony-tinted blood really flowing now, spreading and singing and _hissing_. "What are you – ?"

I gasped, throwing my head back as something flowed out of his hand, his palm, bypassing my shirt to flood my skin, black threads running over me like a spider-web, sticky and strong and just as hard to get out of…

Not that I wanted to. My hands fisted in the grass, tearing chunks of the wisps of green out of the ground and scattering them, arching up into the hard pressure on my chest as the cords of Power ran over me, entrapping-capturing-binding, forcing me to submit as raw, unfiltered pleasure _burned_ through my senses. I could barely breathe through the mind-melting ecstasy, what little breath I had pouring into moans and weak little gasps, closing my eyes as I silently begged for _more_.

I had no idea what was happening, and I _didn't care_. It was pleasure unfelt by my skin, going straight to the receptors in my brain and I couldn't handle it, couldn't deal with it as bliss flooded out of the web over my skin, pumping ecstasy into me as I arched off the ground, whimpering in the need to feel something physical, something to let my mind connect the pleasure with, because this raw stimulation of my receptors was going to drive me insane. I couldn't take it – it was too much, such a build up of pressure and pleasure that I couldn't reach release, couldn't pass the mental block put up in my path, dragging it on and on and on. I needed this boy, this User, to do no more than brush his hand over mine, to touch my face or breathe on my mouth to fall into the most mind-blowing release imaginable.

Chase's POV

It was the most erotic sight experience of my life, having that innocent boy bound and writhing beneath my hand, helplessly panting and moaning, eyes closed in almost shameful ecstasy as he threw his head back, the only movement I allowed him. I could feel his hips jerking minutely, trying to roll upwards, trying to feel a physical touch, and restraining him only seemed to heighten the sensations.

"Please…" He whispered, gasping for breath, unable to move, unable to keep control of himself, the almost invisible shadow of the spell's threads criss-crossing over him. "I…"

"Sssh," I whispered, suddenly tender, leaning forward to brush my mouth against his ear, loving how he whimpered, loving the tug on my Power as more strength was fed into the spell, more strength needed to keep him pinned as I touched him. "Ssssssssh…"

He whimpered again, throwing his head back as he begged without words, and I lost it; lost my tenuous hold on reality that hadn't been too great to start with.

Ending the spell with an abrupt cut, I leaned down to take his mouth, revelling in the silky brush of his hair as I ran my hand up his face, as his arms threw themselves around my neck in a desperate, almost drowning motion, moaning and gasping into the kiss.

And maybe he wasn't so innocent, because his tongue sure knew how to dance, teasing me into attacking the cavern of his mouth, wet and slick and sliding, kissing at his lip, his tongue, the corner of his mouth, and then, disconnecting, at his jaw, his neck, his throat –

My eyes flashed white as I came, harder than I ever had in my life, sent higher as –

As the eyes of my brand-new lover shone like headlights as he arched, crying out in ecstasy as his body couldn't take anymore, shuddering and jerking in my arms, burying his face in my shoulder, shaking as he came down from the high.

The moment I could, I threw him from me, horrified, shocked, feeling the stab of guilt as he looked up at me with a hurt, confused expression, still trembling, his body unable to follow the too-sudden change in mood.

He was a _User_. He went to my _school_.

He was a _Son of Ipswich._

Reid's POV

"What?" Mr Simms frowned, standing from the bed, walking to the door. "They should be here by now."

I rolled my eyes, pointedly avoiding looking back; behind me, at Caleb. _Don't look at him…Don't!_ "I don't know where they are, sir, but it's not here."

_Stating the obvious? _The old me asked, sneering. _And while we're at it – what's with the sir?_

_Shut up!_ I hissed, abruptly striding out of the room, the doorway, letting my hand slam against the glass pane as it swung open-shut behind me.

_Just shut the fuck up!_

I ignored the calls of my name as I stormed out of the room. Ignored the guilt pouring into my stomach like acid. Ignored the gaping, screaming pain that abruptly opened in my chest, increasing with every step I took away from the dark-haired form in the bed until it was hard to breathe.

Pogue's POV

The storm broke as I pulled up outside the hospital, strands of my hair sticking to my face as I swung my leg over the bike. Hard glass droplets shattered against the concrete, the lights from the hundreds of windows shuttered behind blinds, and I wondered which one shielded Caleb and Reid from the rain.

Tyler was as limp as a doll as I lifted him from the back, the spell holding him in place dissolving into shadowed fragments. His arm slipped from my grip as I hoisted him up, falling to hang by my side, and I couldn't help flinching as his blank, empty eyes met mine.

This was so _wrong_. Tyler was like a brother – to see him like this was almost as horrific as seeing Caleb scream on the tiled floor of the pool.

I refused to meet his eyes again as I took the steps up to the door two at a time, for once ignoring the safety of my bike. I didn't have a free hand to lock it up, and there was no way in hell I was setting Tyler down on the rain-soaked ground. I swore as I nearly slipped, twisting to the left to keep my balance, and moved my arm to support Tyler's head as it lolled.

_It._ Tyler wasn't an _it_ – he was my god-damned-_Brother_!

I used my shoulder to open the glass door, kicking at it with my heel. Water poured off me onto the sterilised floor, pooling on the ground, and I tried to both ignore it and not slip up as I made for the desk, desperately wondering what the hell to do now I'd managed to actually get here.

But a mortal doctor wouldn't be able to help Tyler. And even if one could, I couldn't risk exposing us somehow.

"Yes?" The blonde asked, looking up, bored, from her computer screen. "Can I help?"

"I'm looking for Caleb Danvers? And Reid Garwin? They should have been brought in earlier?"

She glanced at Tyler, raising her eyebrows at me, but quickly started typing furiously as I snarled, my fear for my Brother and confusion at _what the fuck was happening_ changing into frustration with only a little help.

"On the second floor," she said, finally, not looking away from her screen, its glow falling on her face as her eyes scanned it, frowning slightly. "Room 142. But Mr Garwin was released a few hours ago…"

I barely heard her – throwing a quick "Thanks!" over my shoulder, I turned and ran for the door leading deeper into the hospital, abruptly deciding I would go insane if I had to wait for the lift. Blondie must have jumped as I slammed the door open with my shoulder, ignoring the threat of a bruise, to take the stairs three at a time, thanking the Power for all that swimming. The extra muscle was helping.

The signs took me left, and I skidded with a piercing squeal, wincing but not pausing. Every second that passed saw me more and more scared, nearly out of my mind as he started to heat up, his skin slowly flushing, shadowed threads of silvery black spreading out from under his clothes, reminding me too much of a spider-web. They moved up like honey, slow and sticky, and I tried not to gag or wince at the sight. There was just something about them that made me want to be sick…

As I _finally_ found the god-damn room, instantly spotting Caleb lying on a bed, hooked up to a dozen different machines, a bright flash dragged my attention back to Tyler's face.

Twin starbursts of white light erupted from his polished-onyx eyes, ribbon-like beams leaking like tears, seeming to cling to his eyelashes as he arched in my arms, mouth opening in a silent cry. He shook like he was in a fever, writhing as if someone was torturing him.

_What's happening to him?_

Tyler's POV

The other boy stared at me in horror, in blatant shock tinged with hate, but I couldn't understand it. I felt weak, still trembling as I tried to stand up, almost falling before I managed it, stumbling. I couldn't think straight as I felt the threads of Power fall from my skin like dried glue, putting a hand to my head.

"What the – " I started, blinking hard, but the other interrupted me, hissing as he stood up, face contorted in pure loathing.

I couldn't help take a step back, but it didn't do much good: one second he was about six feet from me, but the next he was up in my face, hair whispering as if he'd just run the distance.

But I hadn't seen him _move!_

His hands slammed into my shoulders, and I cried out as I flew backwards, crashing painfully hard into one of the crystalline trees, feeling the hard, glowing gem crack behind my spine. Pain flew up my back, but I barely had time to close my eyes against it before the other guy was back again, hands pinning me to the tree trunk, face up in mine.

He looked _furious_.

"Who the fuck _are_ you?" He snarled, leaning in as I flinched away from the savage expression. "Pogue? Tyler? Surely you're not Reid or Caleb?"

For a second, I froze as I heard my Brother's names come from that poison-filled mouth – how did he know who we were? This was supposed to be a _dream_ – what the _fuck_ was going on?

I threw his arms off me, pushing him away so he stumbled, shock written all over his face.

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about," I spat, suddenly furious. My head was muddled, hazy – all the clearly-defined lines of sanity dissolving, leaving nothing to separate…well, everything. "All I want to know is what the _fuck_ just happened?"

He just stared at me for a moment, hand rubbing at his chest where I'd shoved him. If I could, I would have met his gaze, but it was invisible to me.

"You're a Son of Ipswich," he said softly, straightening. All hints of malice and hate were wiped from his voice, but I wasn't sure whether or not it was an act. "You're a User. All I want to know,"

He stepped closer, and instinctively I backed up against the tree again, " – is which one?"

His breath ghosted over my mouth, and without even thinking I tilted my head, hands reaching to run through his hair and pull his lips to mine…I wanted more of that spicy taste, hot and burning…None of the rest of it mattered, just then.

Just that taste…And the silken, shadowed darkness that hovered behind it, caressing as it slipped under the shields around my mind, drowning my thoughts with ease…

His mouth moved on mine as he pressed me harder against the tree at my back, his arms winding about my waist as I tugged at his hair. I felt him smirk against me as his head tilted, his lips parting and taking mine with them with a shocked breath.

For a second, he breathed for me as he ate at my mouth, teeth and tongue working with savage intensity, hands tugging at my shirt, one rough palm sliding up my chest, nails whispering. I whimpered, hands tightening in his hair, and I must have been pulling chunks of it _out_ but he didn't seem to notice, enraptured with the faint lines of my chest, tracing them with his fingertips under my shirt as his hips ground into mine, telling me very, very clearly what it was he wanted.

I have no doubt I would have let him have it, then. When he broke the kiss to start nipping at my jaw, my earlobe, I only groaned and tilted my head for more, feeling him laugh against the side of my face as he complied with my silent begging…or not so silent, judging from the gasps and whimpers that were all mine.

But my mind cleared a little as he nuzzled at the join of my neck and shoulder, throat, opening his mouth to drag his teeth hard against the skin, back and forth as if he were savouring the anticipation…

He was a User. He had Power – and the first part of a Bond was Marking. A bruising bite to the throat.

I tried to pull away, suddenly scared, but he wasn't interested, hands moving to hold me in place, one taking my hair to pull my head – gently – to the side. I felt his teeth at the skin again, playing. The light brush of his tongue made me jerk, panting in shaking fear.

I didn't know him. I _didn't want to Bond_.

"Don't…" I whispered, trying to escape his grip – but maybe he was Using, because I couldn't move either of his hands, or push him away. "Please, don't…"

He pressed butterfly kisses up the side of my neck, nipping at my jaw – the safe zone. "Sssssh…" He whispered tenderly, but it only made me fear him more. "It's fine, it's okay…Sssh…"

"Tyler!"

I froze. How did he know my name, suddenly? Out of the four of us, how did he guess…?

"Tyler! Tyler, man, wake up! Come on!"

I blinked as I felt the ghost of a pair of hands on my shoulders, shaking me. What…?

The other boy growled against my neck, holding me tighter. "No. _No!_" He bit at the skin behind my ear, hard, making me flinch. "They can't have you back. They _can't_. I need you more than they do."

"Tyler!"

I recognised the voice now – it was Pogue.

"Come on, Tyler, wake up!"

And that was Reid. Reid! Briefly, I felt ecstatic – Reid was awake! He was okay! A warm wave of relief went through me, and I relaxed in the other boy's arms, sighing.

He must have thought I'd decided to stay with him, because he smiled, kissing me again, softly, on the mouth, tracing my lips with his tongue even as I stiffened. "See? You can stay here, with me, and everything'll be fine…"

I gasped suddenly, crying out in pain as I felt Power wash through me, a crashing tsunami that jerked me out of the other's grip, throwing me against the cliffs of reality as I screamed, the air before me tearing and shredding like paper, like cloth as I was thrown through the gap, my skin on fire, burningripping_screaming_ as I heard the other boy cry out in harsh agony.

Loss. Heart-rending loss; panic; fear.

Loss.

I had a split second to see his hands clasped to his head, as if in pain, before my eyes were assaulted by the harsh brightness of hospital lights.

Reid's POV

"What…?"

With a cry, I threw myself on the bed, not thinking even for a second about Pogue and Ty's dad as I hugged Tyler so hard he probably couldn't breathe.

"Reid…?" He asked, and the confusion was so heavy in his voice it was laughable. He looked absolutely adorable as I pulled back, shifting so I wasn't sitting on his legs and mock-frowning.

"Don't _ever_ scare us like that again!" I ordered, wagging my finger to make him laugh, trying to cover just how badly he'd scared me. It was okay to laugh about it, pretend it had been nothing serious – but when Pogue had run into the room, breezing past me, water flying from his hair, I swear I stopped breathing at the pure panic etched onto his face.

Mr Simms had instantly placed Tyler on the bed next to Caleb's, laying him out and reaching for his temples almost instantly. Baby-boy had been shaking, writhing, his eyes flashing like strobe lights beneath his closed eyelids, and I could barely breathe as dark-light flowed from father to son, streaming out of Gerald's eyes in cloudy ropes and into Tyler's. Thick ribbons of glowing Power ripped down Gerald's arms, through his skin to slam into Tyler's temples – and that was when we heard his voice inside our minds.

_Call him!_

Pogue managed to find his voice first, calling Tyler twice before I finally got the words past the fear in my throat, trying not to let any of it stain my voice – I didn't know if it would help if Tyler knew just how scared I was.

Suddenly, he screamed – loud and long, filled with so much pain and heart-aching loss that my mind shut down. My heart stopped, and I desperately wished for Caleb – somehow thinking he could make it better –

And then snarled at myself, angry and ashamed for thinking I _needed_ someone.

"I'm sorry, guys," Tyler whispered softly, and I looked back at him, startled. I'd been so lost in my own head that I'd almost forgotten about him.

Behind me, I heard Pogue's weak smile in his voice as he came and sat on the bed too. "Don't worry about it, Ty…You're fine now, and that's what matters, right?"

"Do you know what happened?" Gerald asked calmly, looking intently at his son. Baby-boy paused for a second, thoughts darting like shadows beneath the surface of water, but he shook his head firmly.

"No idea," he said quietly, not looking at any of us.

Baby-boy's always been a bad liar. But I let him get away with it – I could get it out of him later, when he wasn't lying in a hospital bed.

His eyes met mine, and he flashed me a grateful smile. We both knew I knew he was lying, but whatever it was, I wasn't going to drag it out in front of the others. He'd tell me later.

I heard the sound of friction on leather behind me, and, confused, I turned my head to see Pogue turning a book over in his hands. It looked like he was searching for a title…

Tyler looked over my shoulder, and his eyes lit up when he saw the book. "Pogue! You brought it!"

The Warrior looked up, startled, but nodded. "Yeah…I don't know why, though. I think I did it automatically…I was just way too scared about you, you know?"  
We all stared at him, and he refused to look at us. This was _Pogue_ – almost as notorious as _me_ for keeping his feelings hidden. Sure, he ran after Chase when the bastard got Kate, but that was the most open he'd even been with…Hell, with _anyone_.

Gerald cleared his throat pointedly, and I stopped musing about Pogue's sudden change long enough to glance at the Elder.

"I think it is time we were leaving," he said simply, gesturing to Caleb. "We have clearance to bring your Alpha home with us, and I can better care for him when we are away from these mortals."

Without conscious thought, my eyes slid past him to Caleb, and even as I jerked them away, tears of – I told myself – anger and frustration gathering, I couldn't repress the pang in my chest at the sight of him. He looked so…so _dead_. Logically, I knew he was only asleep – even if I didn't know why – but, apart from the regular beeps from the machines, he gave us no clue that he was still alive.

The others murmured soft assent, Tyler assuring the other two he was fine – just a bit shaken up – but I said nothing as Gerald rang for an orderly to help us bring Caleb down whatever transportation was waiting for us.

I just wanted this day to be over.

Tyler's POV

Pogue said goodbye to us in the parking lot, heading for his motorbike while we dashed through the rain to my dad's hummer. The hospital assistant – I didn't catch his name – carefully laid Caleb down in the backseat, with an air of dubious mistrust that we all ignored.

Dad slipped into the drivers seat, as expected, and I made to open the passenger door – my legs were still trembling a little, and I was trying hard not to think too much – thinking Reid would want to sit next to Caleb. Actually, it was more like he would have to have our Alpha's head on his lap, because Caleb was lying across the back seat, still unconscious – and wound about with so many healing and stasis spells I couldn't help feeling a twinge of worry for my father.

Almost instantly, Reid's wet hand covered mine, gripping the door handle through the gaps in my spread fingers, knuckles pale and white. Startled, I looked up – and choked back my shock at the emotions writhing in his eyes.

"Let me sit in the front," he whispered, so quietly I almost couldn't hear him over the rain. His blond hair was slick and wet from the rain, and the darkness of the storm and the falling night did nothing to hide the pain in his gaze – shadowed with desperation.

Silently, I nodded, pulling back from the door to circle to the other side of the hummer. I didn't take Caleb's head in my lap – that would be too intimate, too forward: too awkward. The lines between me and my brothers were becoming more blurred with every hour that passed – the boundaries weren't so clear anymore. Instead, I sat on the other side, my Alpha's feet on my knees, my shoulder pressed against the cold window as my father drove through the dripping dark.

No one said a word, but the bright headlights of Pogue's bike followed us all the way to the Simms Manor, like a glowing blade piercing the falling threads of rain. Caleb didn't stir, but I saw the tense lines of my father's face, the stiffness in his jaw and his tight grip on the steering wheel as his Power fed the spells keeping Caleb alive. And I couldn't help wishing that I knew enough about Healing to help him – Caleb was _my_ Alpha, after all. Dad didn't really have any direct responsibility to him.

After what seemed an age, we stopped in front of my family's house – if you could call it that. Surely it was too large for the term 'house' to apply. But either way, Reid was out of the car in seconds as Pogue pulled up beside us with a roar of his engine, the gravel of the courtyard crunching beneath the harsh wheels. The cold and the wind hit me like a punch as I slipped out of the door, instantly crossing to the other side of the car to help my father with Caleb.

Pogue brushed the two of us aside, carrying Caleb himself, though I didn't miss the slight strain as he got used to the weight of our Alpha. Dad sent me ahead to get my mother, get a room and hot drinks ready for all of us – and as the gravel crunched under my running feet, I glanced back over my shoulder, the rain running into my eyes as I struggled to see, almost tripping on the steps leading up to the front door.

Pogue and my father walked side-by-side, my father keeping one faintly glowing hand on Caleb's trailing wrist; the reason they moved so slowly. The headlights of the hummer clicked off behind them, but the motion-detector lights from the house and the lamp-posts set into the gates were enough to ensure they didn't fall in the dark.

My hand paused a second on the door-handle, the keys already in my hand.

Reid still stood by the car, one hand on the door as he watched my father and Pogue walk up to the house. Water ran into his eyes as his hair was slicked down, sticking to the sides of his face, the black beanie soaking and clinging to the shape of his skull.

I'd never seen him like that. Reid was the bad-boy. Reid was strong, daring, brave. He was electric, lightning given human form. He didn't get scared. He didn't feel pain. He didn't cry. He pushed the limits just because he could, and just grinned when it all went wrong.

But he just stood there. Just stood all alone, in the dark, in the rain, and he looked so torn. So lost.

Reid didn't get scared. He didn't feel pain. He didn't cry.

But as I slipped inside the house, leaving the door open for the others coming up the drive, I wondered just how much of the water streaming down his face was from the sky.

Reid's POV

I hesitated outside the door to the Healing Room, the smooth brass of the handle slick in my still-wet hand, the fingerless glove retaining the water and making me shiver against the metal.

Reid Garwin wouldn't be afraid of walking through that door. He'd go in with a cocky smirk and a new trick to dazzle everyone in there.

But…

My cold fingertips traced the curling curve of the door-handle, my other hand resting on the door frame.

I didn't think I could be that Reid anymore. Didn't think he really existed anymore. He'd walked out of my skin and left me behind, and I wasn't sure who I was without him.

"_Reid, I think you need to read this." _

_Tyler's voice, looking up from where he was lying on his own bed, Pogue on the sofa leaning against the wall, his head in his hands. Reid leaning against the wall, trying not to think, and Mr Simms in the Healing Room down the hall, taking care of Caleb. _

_Reid's eyes open, and he sees the book in Baby-boy's hands, neat penmanship covering the double-page spread Tyler has it open to. Tyler's looking up at him, eyes hopeful and calm, and Reid knows Baby-boy's trying to distract him. _

_Because they all know he's trying not to cry, trying to ignore the aching emptiness inside him, the space he didn't even know Caleb had filled. Didn't know just how badly he missed the feeling of Caleb's mind touching his own, the sensation of Caleb's emotions whirling through their bond – the proof, every second of every waking and dreaming moment, that Caleb was alive, was real and with him and _alive_. Because they all know he's only pretending that he doesn't need Caleb more than he's ever needed anyone in his life._

This is what it feels like when I pretend I don't feel any pain.

_No one says it, though, and Reid pretends not to know that his brothers know it as he crosses the room, climbing onto the bed beside Tyler; and no one mentions how obvious it is, how heart-breaking it is to seem him trying so hard. Trying so hard to pretend nothing's wrong._

_Tyler just points at the book silently, turning the page to let him know to read past the page before going over to sit by Pogue, the rustle of the blankets loud in Reid's pounding ears. _

_He hears his brothers talking, quietly, but his focus is on deciphering the handwriting before him._

'…_and the Peace-Keeper, the anchor of the Covenant, the one on whom the survival of them all depends. The Alpha's Power, once evolved into its new form after his Ascension, will act as an undeniable, magnetic force towards the Peace-Keeper, whether or not he, too, has Ascended. _

'_Once the forging of the bond has begun, the attraction between the two Users will begin – and constantly continue – to grow. While no one has ever satisfactorily explained the magic of the Alpha-bond, the fact that whatever spell creates it is the most powerful known to the Covenant is undeniable and concrete. Once set, it cannot be broken, permanently joining the two Users together in mind and Power – with the much-coveted side-effect of preventing both Alpha and Peace-Keeper from aging due the use of their Power. _

'_More than this, however, is the startling realisation that the bond's magic truly brings the two Users together, beginning at birth. While the spell does not truly begin until the Alpha's Ascension, both Users will usually feel some attraction to each other before this; and it seems that the bond brings these feelings to the surface with the Ascension of the Alpha. These feelings grow very deep and very strong – at the point of this book's writing, there has never been a bond in which the Alpha ever harmed his Peace-Keeper in any way. Indeed, for some time there has been contention over the bonding of the two Users, as there have been occasions when the Peace-Keeper saw fit to manipulate his advantage over the Alpha, resulting in chaos. This is the only case in which a bond was ever broken (the author asks that the reader keep in mind that this was before the bond was set; after this has occurred, the bond is irrevocable). _

'_To conclude, in all but two examples of the Covenant's history, the bond has created a merging of hearts between two Users – bringing two people together in perfect love and perfect trust. _

'_A note from the present Peace-Keeper –_

' "_I bid you greetings, 'Keepers of the future. To speak of this is hard, but it is something I am assured will assist you, and so it is done. _

' "_I have only one thing to say to you: trust your heart. You will be afraid, and angry that this is being done to you without your consent, but trust your heart. Trust your heart, and your Power, and your Alpha. After much pain, it is the path that I chose years ago – and I can honestly say that I have never known such happiness as I have in the arms of my Bonded. _

' "_Choose the life that will bring you joy. Choose the path that your heart leads you down, and do not be afraid. You will find that, with your Alpha by your side, you can face any darkness.' "_

And maybe that's the reason I was out the door in seconds when Gerald let us know we could see Caleb, after hours of feeling the vibrating thrum of Healing spells in our teeth. Maybe that's the reason my heart feels like it's shivering, when my skin feels too tight and too warm. Maybe it's the reason I've never felt so scared in my life as I do know, just thinking about what's lying beyond this door.

Maybe that's the reason I find the tiniest, smallest shred of courage to push the handle down. Maybe that's the reason I don't fight the tears that come when I see Caleb on the bed, eyes closed and his chest rising and falling as he breathes, so slowly. Maybe that's the reason I almost stumble as I run to the bed, falling on my knees and taking his face in my hands, the fingerless gloves brushing over his cheekbones, the pads of my thumbs stroking small circles at the corners of his eyes.

Maybe that's the reason I almost sob as my tears fall onto Caleb's face, trickling down his cheeks as if he's the one that's crying. Maybe that's the reason I feel like my heart's exploding in a shower of star-burst fireworks, golden and glittering and diamond-dust-shining.

Maybe that's the reason I press my mouth to his, crying and laughing and sobbing and finally, _finally_ letting my heart have what I think I always wanted.

Maybe the reason is the bright flicker of Caleb's eyes as he wakes. Maybe it's the faint, hesitant smile that tugs at his mouth as his hands tangle gently in my hair, tugging me closer. Maybe it's the feeling of being complete again, of feeling his Power and mine merge as we touch, purring and content as the puzzle pieces come together.

Or maybe the reason is the quiet, "_I love you, Reid,_" that he whispers against my mouth, fingertips caressing the side of my neck and my cheek.

Yeah. I think that might be it.


	16. An Easy Morning

So I think I'm finally getting the hang of this story again! And it is GOOD TO BE BACK!

Nothing much happens in this chapter. I just wanted a chance to show the new dynamic between the Covenant, with the whole Caleb/Reid thing. Next chapter which will hopefully NOT TAKE AS LONG TO WRITE, will have Chase's return! So let's all look forward to that.

Hope you guys like!

Oh, and I would just like to say - thank you so, so much for all the beautiful reviews I was sent while I was away. Each one really made my day, you guys. I have the best readers ever, seriously. Very sappy, but I just wanted to say that. -hugs you all-

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_Chapter Fifteen – An Easy Morning_

Chase's POV

Oh gods, it hurts. The world around me crumpled and shattered into diamond splinters of glass, on my knees with my head on my hands and it. _Hurts_.

"_Give him back_!" I yelled, begged, trying desperately to channel the yawning chasm of pain into words. So someone could understand me, could _bring him back_, give me back my mat –

I snarled, and Power exploded out of me, charring a wide circle of grass and shrubs to ash in an instant, a blast-zone as if from a small bomb caging me in death of my own making. He wasn't my mate! I was the Rogue, and I would break Reid from Caleb and claim the alpha as my own. That was my plan, that was my life.

What the hell had I been _doing_, about to Bond with – with whichever User that had been? I didn't even know who it _was!_

"Are you feeling better?"

Glancing up, breathing hard from my petty tantrum, my eyes met the gold of the Morrigan's. "Yes, Lady," I said quietly, regaining control of myself. How long had she been standing there? "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me."

"I do," she stated calmly as I pushed myself up off the ground. "It is as I said. Your Power is desperate to Bond with another. An opportunity presented itself; your instincts overcame you. This is natural. You are, after all, only mortal. As of yet."

I glanced at her sharply, that last _yet_ having caught my attention, but she was already turning away, making a gesture for me to follow. "Come. Time passes quickly here. I would go over your lessons once more before you leave."

My heart – bruised and sick, no matter how forcefully I repeated the Morrigan's words in my mind – sank at the reminder that I would be leaving soon, but I followed dutifully. So little time…

Reid's POV

"Reid?"

So warm…I nuzzled into the heat radiating from my pillow, ignoring the buzzing whisper as the arm around me tightened, reflexively.

"He's not gonna wake up, man." Pogue's voice; half-asleep still, I frowned. Why didn't they go away? "Just leave them to it."

"They're Bonded now. Caleb won't be getting up for a while, so Reid needs to eat something." Tyler. "The Bond will share the energy out, keep them both going. Reid!"

"Shut. Up." Caleb muttered into my ear; his lips brushed my skin and I shivered, suddenly conscious of how close we were, that I was pressed into his bare chest and all that smooth, delicious muscle…

Unable to resist, I licked whatever was beneath my mouth; turned out to be his shoulder, when I blinked my eyes open – lazily, like a cat. But it was Caleb that purred, right in my ear again, and nipped my earlobe.

Only the sub in a Bonded relationship can understand what it feels like, when your partner touches you. It's unrealistic, makes no sense – but touches that, from anyone else, don't really feel like much are suddenly super-charged. That's the only way to explain it. When he brushes your hand, or ruffles your hair – all those accidental touches you don't even notice from anyone else…It's like fire, scorching deep into you. It's hard not to react to it, as the Bond grows stronger.

When they're trying to turn you on? Times that by a hundred. A thousand.

I moaned, pressing into him as sparks spiked my blood, biting my lip as his free hand slid over my back under the covers, low on my spine. I remembered now; I'd crawled in to the bed with him, worried about him keeping warm. Which was ridiculous, in a house like this, but…

Someone in the doorway groaned, sounding as if it might turn into a laugh. "Caleb!" Tyler, again. "Stop molesting Reid and let him get breakfast already. Come on."

"Go away, Tyler," Caleb growled, his hand getting dangerously close to my jeans. "Not interested."

Neither was I. I couldn't think of a single reason Caleb shouldn't keep going…

Abruptly, the covers were yanked from us both, and I yelped, shooting upright at the wash of cold air.

"Tyler! He'll get cold!" I hissed, reaching for the blankets without even thinking about it. "He's _sick_!"

"Am not!" Caleb protested – but he hid under the covers as I glared at him, Taylor and Pogue laughing their asses off in the doorway – when I glanced that way, Pogue was actually struggling to stay upright.

Bastard.

"You," I jabbed my finger at Caleb's head under the blanket, "stay in bed. You," pointing at Pogue, "quit laughing before I kick your ass across the state and back. You know I'll do it." Jerk only laughed harder, and I sighed, over-dramatic as I swung out of bed. "And you," Tyler "lead on to breakfast. I'm starving."

"How'd you burn all those calories, Reid?" Pogue asked innocently, in a sudden moment empty of giggles (don't believe him when he claims a manly laugh. Pogue? Giggles like a girl).

"Just 'caus you're not getting any," Caleb purred, before I could say a thing; and I turned on my heel to stare at him. I couldn't believe he'd actually said that – but he just winked, propped on his elbow on his side, and nodded at Pogue, now behind me.

"Argh!" Pogue clapped his hands over his ears just as I turned to watch, his eyes clasped shut. "Bad mental images! Scarred for life, man! That was totally not necessary, Caleb!"

"I believe you mean 'Most High Alpha'," he corrected smugly, and then it was my turn to laugh, flipping them both the bird as I stepped over Pogue's legs (by now, the idiot was collapsed on the floor) and dragged Tyler out after me.

"Screw you guys, I'm getting breakfast," I announced. "Come on, Tyler. Your mom makes the best pancakes _ever_."

Life? Life was good.

Tyler's POV

I didn't protest – too much – as Reid dragged me by the wrist through the corridors of Simms Manor. It wasn't like he needed me to lead him: the four of us had grown up in each other's houses, and Reid, especially, knew my place like the back of his hand. The two youngest in the Covenant – we'd been inseparable growing up.

Which usually meant Reid coming up with something that got us both in trouble – but it was fun, so what the hell, right?

No one had really gone to sleep last night – Pogue and I had stayed up late in the den, talking about how different everything was now. We all knew Pogue was the one having the most trouble adapting to how things were, to Caleb and Reid. Me, I'd known this would happen since my thirteenth birthday – and deep down, I was secretly relieved that it was Reid, and not me, who'd become the Peace-Keeper.

I felt a little guilty about that.

The process of Bonding meant that Caleb wasn't doubting and second-guessing himself, I knew that too. Everything was going perfectly for him, everything his Power needed to be whole and happy – his mate, his pack, his life. The only thing that could possibly make him happier was having the Rogue whole and healthy with us…the Covenant complete.

The thought reminded me of my dream, of the other User. Was that what it was? Did my Power, too, want us to be a whole pack, instead of just four? Was it my subconscious, unhappy and uncomfortable with being incomplete?

_Or is it that you just want some sexy guy to look at you and want you?_ My inner voice murmured, and I wilted a little, letting Reid tug me into the Breakfast Room without protest. Because there wasn't anyone who wanted me, not like that, and sometimes…Sometimes that really got me down.

"You want pancakes, baby-boy?" Reid asked me, waving the plate under my nose. I blinked, focussing on the present as the mouth-watering smell drifted up to me.

"Hell yeah," I grinned, reaching for them as I took a seat. Unlike the other mothers in the Covenant, mine actually did most of her own cooking, unless she and my dad were hosting a fundraiser or dinner party, something like that – and she was good. I was still certain that the reason I'd played host to so many sleepovers when we were younger was just so the guys could feast on my mom's breakfasts.

We ate in silence for a while, Reid drowning his pancakes and waffles in maple syrup, just like always. Eventually, Pogue caught up with us, his hair still wet from a shower, and I was secretly grateful that he'd arrived. It meant Reid would have no chance to interrogate me about yesterday.

We'd been best friends for years. I knew it was on his mind.

I glanced at him. Or was it? Maybe I was just being paranoid. And selfish. I knew what Caleb, Pogue and I were feeling – what about Reid? I'd seen his face, just before he went to find Caleb last night. I'd seen him standing in the rain when we brought the Alpha inside, shattered down to the core.

And this morning.

Watching him out of the corner of my eye – I had to relax. Reid was practically glowing, he was so content. The corner of his mouth was permanently quirked, as if at any moment he would burst into a dazzling, blinding smile.

"Jesus, Garwin, _did_ you get laid last night?" Pogue asked, mock-horrified as he, too, took in Reid's latent happiness. "You look like a chick, man."

In response, Reid flicked a piece of waffle at him, barely reacting at all. It was as if nothing could pierce his good humour; it was obvious he was trying hard not to smile.

"Now now, Pogue, you know the rules," my dad's voice came from behind us, and we all turned, Reid licking his fingers clean of sticky syrup. "They have a while yet before they get to that part."

Pogue grimaced, and Reid and I laughed, unable not to at his expression.

Life was good.

Caleb's POV

I felt fine. I wanted to get _up_ and make sure Reid was eating ok. And Pogue, and Tyler. Hell, I had classes today, I was _not_ planning on spending hours and hours in this bed. There were things to do.

_Probably wouldn't mind if Reid were in here with me, though,_ I admitted to myself, chuckling softly. The sunlight pooling on my upper body from the window felt good; I stretched my arms above my head, revelling in the ache of muscles stretching and relaxing.

_I love you, Reid._

I'd finally gotten it together and told him. If anyone had walked in just then, I couldn't have hidden the huge, sappy grin that stretched across my face, remembering. It didn't matter at all to me that he hadn't said it back. I didn't need the words to confirm what was building up so fast between us. He'd said it all without saying a word, last night and this morning too.

For the first time since Chase, I felt glad of my position. Being Alpha meant I had Reid, and I'd take all the responsibilities and more if it meant I could hold that bright, burning star in my arms and know he was mine.

Laughing at myself, I flung the covers back. Tyler had said something about sharing energy; Reid must have been eating well enough, then, or maybe I was just too happy to stay down.

There was another thread woven into the cord that bound us. Heart to heart, vanishing through the walls of Tyler's home to where Reid was waiting for me. Soft, soft rose. That made seven. Just a few more until the next step…

Suddenly, I remembered what I'd seen yesterday. Chase's ghost, or what looked like it, in the pool with Reid; and that was enough of a shadow to get me out of bed, frowning now as I started pulling on clothes.

I couldn't deny the twist of guilt that still hit me whenever I thought of Chase. Because whatever had brought us to opposite sides, he was still my Brother – my long-lost Brother – and I should have been there to protect him. Instead, it was my hand that struck him down, and Reid might have helped me come to terms with it – it was a choice between Chase or the others, which wasn't a choice at all – but I didn't think I could ever lost this guilt.

But we needed to figure out what that had been, yesterday.

Tyler's POV

Caleb joined us eventually, dressed without a hair out of place, as usual. Pogue held his hand up with a mock grimace to hide the Alpha and Peace-Keeper's quick kiss, but the rest of us just laughed, and pretended we hadn't heard Reid's happy purr.

"Hey, come on, I'm just up!" Caleb laughed, trying to stop Reid from loading up his plate the moment he sat down.

"Oh, just shut up and let him, Cae," Pogue interjected, twirling his fork between his fingers with a wicked grin. "He's been pining for you."

"Have not!" The blonde snapped, but there was a gleam of amusement in his eyes, in the corner of his mouth, that stopped us from taking him seriously.

I smiled, bowing my head over my plate as I soaked up the last drops of syrup with the last bite of pancake, relaxing in the friendly bickering and one-upping that was our normal breakfast routine, if we were together in the mornings. This was good. This was – okay. Normal, or as normal as it ever got for us. We'd been missing normal lately.

The conversation stayed light as we gathered our bags and got ready for school. Caleb wouldn't hear of staying in bed all day, waving off my father's weak protests – every spell gave our Alpha a clean bill of health, so there was nothing he could really do except tell Reid to keep a close eye on him. Which was a _given_, so I grabbed my keys and we started off for school.

In the car, it was quiet. Reid and Caleb had the back seat to themselves, but they were behaving; Reid had his head in Cae's lap, but that was all, nothing to freak out Pogue. Caleb's fingers were carding through Reid's soft hair, staring out the window and seemingly miles away. The Warrior was flicking through radio channels, trying to find something that would make a better background music than the light rain hammering on the windows.

And I just – I was trying not to think about yesterday, and what had happened while I was out. The other User, right after Caleb saw Chase.

I squirmed in my seat, remembering biting kisses and burning touches, and knew I was probably starting to go red. But a wet-dream was one thing; one I was so deeply entangled in that it took magic to get me out? After dreaming of a User?

But Chase was _dead_, wasn't he? He had to be. Or he'd have come after us again by now. It had been just over a week.

I couldn't help wondering if that was what we were all thinking as I pulled in to the school car park.


	17. A Surprise Unwanted

Omg, guys, I can't believe how long it's been since I updated this! This chapter was so hard to write, and in the end I've broken it into two chapters. So this one is very short - I'm sorry - but it means the next chapter is half finished already.

Thank you, thank you, thank you SO MUCH to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, and sent me messages, and just, everyone, basically. With all my stories. I am not dead! I'm not gone! I'm just. Very, very slow? None of my fics are dead. They are all on hold, yes, but I haven't given up on any of them, I swear.

So yeah. I hope you enjoy this! Next chapter HOPEFULLY SOON!

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_Chapter Sixteen – A Surprise Unwanted_

Pogue's POV

We had a few precious weeks of peace.

It was still kind of weird to see Reid and Caleb _together_ together. But at the same time, it was how things were supposed to be, and Tyler and I both remembered the day Sarah sat down by our Alpha in the cafeteria. How we'd both tensed up, instinctively wanting her gone. Her presence was jeopardising the peace of our pack and we resented her for it, before she'd even done anything.

So it was weird. But it was also pretty normal.

Kate was blossoming into all of this beyond my wildest hopes and dreams. I've never been a real sappy guy, but the day Caleb and I walked into his kitchen to see Kate and Reid trying to bake us cookies was the day I knew I was going to marry her. She had cookie dough and flour all over her face and hands, and she was laughing as Reid made a fool of himself decorating the latest batch with icing and gumdrops. Seeing her like that, with her hair tied back and a chocolate chip stuck to her nose like a piercing…She was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.

Tyler grew more and more dreamy as the days passed. He spent a lot of time sleeping, skipping swim practice to doze beneath the trees in the school grounds at lunch and crawling into bed at nine at night, when the rest of us made midnight on our best behaviour. We didn't know what was up with it, but it didn't hurt anybody. So we made sure he didn't fall asleep too much in class and shared our notes when he did, and left it at that.

Caleb and Reid didn't come out to the school, but anyone who looked closely enough could have put two and two together. Neither of them gave a crap for what anyone else thought, and more than a few people learned that Reid was going home with Caleb nights now. If you saw one, you could bet the other wasn't far away, and Heaven help you if you got between them. Girls didn't come on to Reid any more, and if they were smart they left Caleb alone too.

But they were happy. Whenever I looked around, Caleb had this big, sappy grin on his face, watching Reid like he was looking at the heart of his universe, his sun and moon and stars all rolled up into one snarky blonde package. And no one could have missed how Reid snuggled – _snuggled!_ It was kind of freaky – whenever Caleb was still for more than two seconds.

We hadn't been able to figure out the thing with Chase. No one, even our parents, could understand it, and with the smaller dramas of school and practise and our respective others, each of us put it to one side. We were all okay. Life was pretty good, the days stretching into what was gonna be one heck of a Summer. There were only a few more weeks until we broke up, and everyone under thirty was excited about it.

And then we were called in for a special meeting.

Caleb's POV

Walking into the principal's office reminded me of the day I'd been called to take care of Chase, all those months ago now.

A heart-beat behind me, Reid was reaching for my hand almost before I'd finished the thought, the palms of his fingerless gloves brushing mine as he entwined our fingers. I was the better at projecting my thoughts through our now nine-threaded bond – a beautiful rainbow I could happily stare at for hours while Reid slept beside me, soft and beautiful – but Reid could read me like a book through it. Or maybe he'd always had the skill, able to push buttons I didn't even know I had, but I liked this better.

The headmaster glanced at our hands, and Reid raised an eyebrow, daring him to comment. We were the Covenant, the Sons of Ipswich, and this was our territory long before his ancestors touched down on these shores. No one could hurt us here.

Even Chase had died trying.

I swallowed the thought, taking the seat offered as Pogue and Tyler followed us through the doorway. I sat down in the foremost chair, the furthest from the door, instinctively; if anything went wrong, the others could move out the door while I covered them.

Not that any of that went through my head. I never thought it through so logically. I just _acted_. Later, talking to Pogue, the two of us could figure out the why of it. His parents had encouraged him to start playing chess, to hone his skills as a Warrior and tactician. The game bored him to tears, but he was getting good at understanding how my head worked.

"What's this about?" Pogue asked suddenly, derailing my train of thought. "Sir?" He added, as Reid snorted and Tyler poked him in the side.

I wasn't paying attention anymore – Reid was trying to smother his laughter, and the sound drew me like a moth to light.

Tyler's POV

None of us were really paying attention to the Headmaster, and on another day I might have felt a bit bad at being so rude so obviously. But I was feeling deliciously sleepy after having slept through lunch in the library, and my thoughts were miles away.

The dreams hadn't really stopped. I hadn't had another so intense as the time when I'd fallen comatose, but it felt like – like the other User was constantly on my mind. It was hard to really focus on anything else. I didn't see him when I dreamed, but I felt him, just beyond the reaches of my dream-self. I was stuck on the shore of the iridescent lake, the gentle waves lapping at my feet, but somehow I knew that he was hiding among the trees, where I couldn't go to him.

Not that I was totally sure I wanted to. Not after nearly being forced into a Bond. None of it made any sense, and none of the research I'd done had told me anything useful. The Book of Damnation didn't mention other covenants like ours, other families, though if I thought about it I knew there had to be some. _The families of Ipswich formed a Covenant of silence…_ Didn't that then imply that there were other families, not of Ipswich, possibly not even bound as we were to secrecy? Maybe this other User came from one of them.

But how we were dreaming together, I had no idea.

Sighing, and ignoring the concerned look Caleb flashed me, I focussed on what the Headmaster was saying, prompting the others to do the same.

"…so I trust that you will all four give Mr Collins the warm welcome his situation deserves."

And realised just how much I should have been listening.

Reid's POV

I felt Caleb's shock sweep through our bond like a tidal wave an instant before my knuckles went white where I held his hand.

_Chase?_

No. No fucking _way!_ My eyes flashed ebony in an instant and something primal in me roared, the burning rage I used to throw in Caleb's face now braced to protect him.

I'd never wanted someone dead before. None of us had been exempt from the feeling that Chase was our Brother, should have been with us, not against us. The first time.

But then he'd tried to kill Caleb. Just hours before we bonded. Now? Now, I would have ripped him apart with my bare hands and no Power to keep him away from my mate. He wasn't – he couldn't – I wouldn't let him anywhere near Caleb again!

I didn't even care that he wasn't dead. It was even parts fury and fear, this feeling, this desperation to keep Caleb safe and mine. _I can't lose him._

_You won't,_ Caleb whispered, and I glanced at him, blue bleeding back into my eyes, desperately seeking the reassurance, _needing_ it. _You will not lose me. Whatever happens, Reid, I'm not going to let go of you. Not ever._

Caleb's POV

I could see how badly Reid wanted to leave his chair and have me hold him. Fuck that, I could _feel_ it, shivering through our bond like a song that made your heart ache with longing. I recognised it. Ever since he'd been young, when he felt vulnerable he turned to me. Not for reassurance the way someone else might think of it – but with a sharp tongue and cocky smirk and biting taunts until I snapped, until I lashed back at him. Until my eyes bled black and he felt my Power.

I'd never understood it. Not until I could see into his mind. My strength made him feel safe, and when he curled up inside himself, shaking, he needed a demonstration of it. Provoking me into a mage-fight did just that. Even when I hurt him – god, my stomach clenched to think of it now – it worked just as well. He felt my strength, my Power, my muscle, and just…knew. That if anything really happened, I could make it right again.

It was a lot to live up to. And nothing I wouldn't have fought with my last breath to accomplish. For any of them.

But holding hands was one thing. Throwing our relationship in the Headmaster's face was another completely, and I could only apologise with my eyes, stroking the back of his hand with my thumb soothingly.

"Chase's 'situation'?" I asked the head, trying to keep my voice and expression casual.

Tyler's POV

I couldn't breathe. All four of us had frozen in our seats.

"A car crash," the headmaster was explaining. "It damaged his eyes, I believe. So I would ask that you are all sufficiently polite, and don't comment or ask questions that might make him uncomfortable."

"You say that as if he's about to walk through the door," Pogue said softly. Maybe it was supposed to be a joke, but all I could hear was freezing ice in his voice, something like fear and anger. He and Caleb exchanged glances, but I still couldn't breathe, couldn't move. I could feel the pressure building, building and building, something so huge I had no hope of surviving it. The air just before the storm breaks, the tremble in the ground just before the earthquake rips the world from under you. The dawning horror just before realisation crashes over you like a tsunami.

I made a sound and couldn't stop myself: I wanted out, now, fast, before whatever it was arrived. Pogue caught my arm and I jerked, shuddering; my eyes flew to him and his widened, seeing the desperate panic bleeding into black. I had to get out, I had to, now, right _now!_

I shoved the chair back and tore my arm out of Pogue's grasp, fighting not to scream; the pressure was still building, _it_ was still coming, my ears were ringing with it, and the spot on my neck – the pulse that held my life, held my fate, that was my freedom unmarked and my bondage the instant teeth touched it – ached like fire. I could hear Reid, and the headmaster, but the ringing, the air was ringing, I had to get – get out…

The door opened, a smooth click, and it swung open to the face I'd dreaded. His hair was just as perfect, his smile just as warm and cocky, but his eyes –

Chase's eyes were black as jet.

"Miss me, boys?" He asked, laughter lacing the words even as he smirked, dark and dangerous and – I couldn't – breathe –

His eyes were the last things I saw before it all went black.


	18. Oaths and Bonds

_Chapter Seventeen – Oaths and Bonds_

Chase's POV

Oh, the expressions on their faces were priceless when I walked through the door. I would have laughed, but instead schooled my face into a polite parody of concern as Simms passed out. It was hard; I really just wanted to bust up. Was he so scared of me that the mere sight made him faint?

Oh dear.

I could see that they were torn between helping their brother and attacking me. Reid and Pogue, both of them turned away from the headmaster, had eyes as black as mine. Morrigan would have approved of their instincts.

Caleb tried to smile, releasing Reid's hand. Without a word, the blonde slipped out of his chair and knelt by Tyler, running his hand over the boy's hair. Hidden by Caleb's chair, I saw him Use some kind of spell, probably a diagnostic, but I wasn't interested enough to care.

"Is he alright?" I asked, keeping up appearances for the one human in the room. I kept my hand on the door, as if unsure whether I was welcome.

Of course, I _knew_ I wasn't.

A silent snarl rippled over Pogue's features, and I resisted the urge to stick my tongue at him. He couldn't do anything – none of them could – and they hated it.

"He's fine," Reid said stiffly. He glanced at Caleb. "But I think someone should take him home."

The head reacted as if he'd been the one asked. "Of course, of course. Mr Parry – "

I waved off the order before it could be formed. "No, allow me," I smiled, fighting back a grin as I crossed the floor and knelt beside the youngest Brother. Reid hissed softly and made to push my hands away, but it wasn't necessary.

The moment I touched him, Tyler woke.

"There, see? He _is_ fine," Reid said, obviously relieved. "Come on, Ty, let's get you out of here, yeah?"

I wasn't watching Tyler. I was staring at Caleb, thoughtful. I'd spent weeks, months, training to break the bond of rainbow-coloured threads that I could see between him and Reid plain as day. I'd spent just as long learning how to take this boy-man for my own. Make him mine. And, unless they were both much, much stronger than the Morrigan had guessed, it would probably destroy Reid, in mind if not in body as well.

I would have Caleb at my beck and call, for the rest of our lives. Once, that idea would have been the epitome of revenge, the perfect recourse for my…madness.

Now, it made me feel…

I shook my head, clearing it of my thoughts. It didn't matter how it made me feel. I glanced at Reid, and let him see my smirk before I pushed myself to my feet. For the moment, he was my enemy.

Soon enough, he would be in too many pieces to even be that.

Tyler's POV

I knew.

The second I woke up to him – to Chase, right _there_, so close to me, his well of Power full and deep like a tranquil ocean just beneath his skin – I knew. That he was the one who'd shared my dreams, who'd called to me, who had made me feel so – so beautiful, and desired, and wanted.

My pulse throbbed in my throat, and my fingers curled into fists to keep from reaching out and touching him. And I wanted to, so much, so badly it was a fight to keep still and not move, to not throw myself in his arms and bare my neck for the Mark. To not give myself up to him.

My only saving grace was that he didn't look at me. If he had, I would have been lost.

The moment he was standing, walking the short distance to stand behind Caleb's chair, I was shoving myself onto my feet, not caring at all for the stumbling gracelessness of it. Without waiting for permission or acknowledgement, I almost tore the door off its hinges, desperate to get out of the room. It was like treading through thick snow, like pulling away from the attraction of the strongest magnet you could possibly imagine. I could feel his Power pulling at me, caressing me just as it had before; my hair, my face and shoulders, coiling over my wrists as if to tug me lovingly back. Melting through my skin to wrap around my own Power, braid with my own magic, and the sheer, incomparable –

No, there were no words for that.

I couldn't breathe past it. I almost fell to my knees. I almost, almost begged for him to touch me, to take me, to Mark me as his.

Almost.

And then the door was open, and I was through it, and it slammed shut behind me.

Instantly, the sweet, sweet pull vanished, cut off as if by a knife, and the loss of it made me stumble. I had to reach for the wall to keep from falling. Had to grit my teeth to keep from crying. Had to hug myself to keep from shaking.

Oh God. Oh _God_.

Oh _no_.

_Chase._

Chase's POV

Something was pulling at me. My Power – it – it was such a familiar feeling, as if I were singing my favourite song, a duet, and I was waiting for my partner to take up the second strain of music.

Waiting. Needing. That shivery, shaking sense of being incomplete, but so close to whole, so close to having everything – as if I could reach out and touch it – touch the other half of me –

The door slammed shut, and jerked me back to reality. I shook my head again, trying to ignore the sudden, gaping sense of loss. I had to focus.

Reid's POV

Tyler was my Brother. He was my best friend. We were close the way Pogue and Caleb had always been close, but right then his running out was secondary to Chase standing so close to my mate.

The bond hummed with nervousness, and I couldn't tell if it was coming from me or Caleb. Probably me – but even if Caleb wasn't scared, I knew he should have been. How could he sit there so calmly, when the mage who had tried to kill him – tried to kill us all – stood behind his chair like a proud parent?

The head frowned at me. "Mr Garwin, up off the floor, please."

Shaking with repressed tension, never taking my eyes off Chase, I obeyed. I'd never felt this helpless before, didn't remember ever being this scared. I wanted to go for the bastard's throat, burn his bones to ashes and make his blood boil in his fucking veins for what he'd tried to do to us – to _Caleb_ – all those weeks ago. And I couldn't. Not in front of a human.

But his eyes…I'd never seen eyes like that. The pure black of Power, but not once since he'd entered the room had Chase's eyes shown their whites. Not _once_. How was that possible, to call your Power to you without Using? How did he bear it?

"Sir, if you don't mind," Chase said suddenly, smiling that open, guileless smile that had charmed us all before, "I'd really like to catch up with my friends." The bastard didn't even hesitate to use that word. After everything! Only Caleb's sharp look at me kept me from snarling. "Could we possibly be excused?"

It surprised no one, I think, when his wish was granted. Instantly, Pogue and I moved: I didn't even try to be polite about gluing myself to Cay's side, my hand finding his in defiance of the headmaster's homophobia and Chase's obvious _intent_ for our Alpha. What that intent was, I didn't want to guess. But it wasn't good, and it wasn't coming near my mate.

Chase would have to get through me first.

"Outside," Pogue hissed, getting between us and Chase. His voice was so low I had trouble hearing it, but at least it kept the raging desire to kill him out of the headmaster's face.

Chase only smiled, and gestured to the doorway. "Ladies first," he purred, and I bared my teeth. He was looking at me, and my skin crawled; no matter how much I hated it, I couldn't hold that look, couldn't stand up to that ebony smirk. He looked at me as if I – like I was some kind of fucking slut, as if no one was in any doubt of who spread for who in Caleb's bed. As if I could be dismissed like nothing, worthless, lower than dirt. Weak and despicable.

I grit my teeth and walked out the door, taking Caleb with me. If he thought I was weak, I'd show him just how wrong he was.

I'd make him regret it.

Pogue's POV

Part of me wondered where Tyler had gone, and if he was alright, but the larger part of me just wanted to get Chase somewhere private where we could kill him. The tactician in me noted with approval that Reid and I had both instinctively moved between Chase and Caleb, and Reid's eyes were already black and burning. The Power set my teeth on edge, and without another thought I called mine to me as well. Everyone else was in class, so there was no one to see us.

Chase seemed to be the only one relaxed as we slipped through the hallway and out onto the grounds – which made no sense, because he was outnumbered and in our territory. Then again, he was insane, so maybe it didn't have to make sense.

That put a whole new spin on fighting him, though. If he was really and truly crazy, did that mean he'd remember to keep his Power out of human sight? Or would he not care about exposure?

I didn't have long to think about it; once we were outside, Reid spun around to face Chase, his teeth bared like some kind of animal. Slimmer and shorter than the rest of us he might have been, but with his eyes like ink he looked like something you just _did not_ mess with.

And I remembered that, centuries ago, the Peace-Keeper had been the last line of defence between enemy mages and the Alpha.

I glanced at Caleb, his expression unreadable. The Alpha of the Covenant was like a king. You lead your coven, you fought for them and protected them no matter what. But if you were a good king, a good leader…if they loved you…then they would fight for you, too. Bleed and kill and die for you, too.

I'd grown up with these guys. I'd have died for any of them just for that. But it felt like none of us could deny the instincts Caleb's Ascension had brought out in us.

"Reid." Caleb laid his hand on Reid's wrist, tugging him out of his half-crouch, but nothing could make the blonde's Power fade just now. Rather than fighting him, Caleb took the smart route and ignored it.

"What are you doing here, Chase?" He asked instead. I'd never heard him use that voice before – low, and rich with tones, it sent a shudder through me down to my bones.

The voice of a king.

Chase smiled. I didn't buy it for a second.

Caleb's POV

I didn't think. I focussed on keeping my expression a mask, on locking even Reid out of my mind, and stared unflinchingly into Chase's face.

I wouldn't let anyone, not even Reid, know what it cost me to stand there as if he'd never held me helpless in the palm of his hand.

"What can I say, Caleb? Will your schoolyard gang really believe anything I tell you? Somehow, I doubt that." You don't realise how much of someone's expression is in their eyes until they are solid orbs of black, and you can't read them anymore. I couldn't tell if the amusement in his voice was real or not.

"Try the truth," Reid snapped, and I frowned at him. But his back was to me, and he didn't see it. I should have been the one in front of him, the one protecting him, I realised, but I felt strangely calm. Weirdly sure that Chase wasn't going to try anything. And so I didn't worry for his safety, when I might have otherwise.

Chase glanced at him, and it made all three of us stiffen. That look didn't make me worry, but it did set my blood alight with anger. With one glance, he dismissed Reid as nothing, an annoying gnat buzzing in his ear, as if a pet had spoken to his master's friend.

Reid was not my pet. He was not my slave. He was my _mate!_

It was my turn to snarl, and Chase's black eyes turned to me instead, one eyebrow cocked as if to say _yes?_

"Don't look at him like that," I said softly, letting Power bleed into my eyes. The last time we'd fought, I'd killed him – or thought I had. I'd won. With Pogue and Reid on my side, I knew the three of us could take him. I didn't need to say any more.

Chase's other eyebrow joined its brother, but he nodded once rather than speak.

"I like it here," he said simply, and it took me a moment to remember my earlier question. "It's my…ancestral home, you could say, couldn't you? In fact," and he smiled again, "I've been thinking about laying claim to the Pope manor. But what that means is," he continued before any of us could voice our shock, "I'm here to call truce."

Reid snorted, and Pogue looked just as dubious.

I could still feel the ropes of his Power curling in and out of my ribcage. Lifting me off the ground, and pulling me to him. I didn't feel like trusting him either.

But at the same time…Even with everything, everything that had happened – he was our Brother, too. The Rogue, yes, but part of my coven by blood. And that dark, primal part of myself – my Power, the face that called itself Alpha – wanted him.

_My strong left hand._

I didn't recognise the saying, so I dismissed it for the moment. Right now, it wasn't important. But it gave voice – sort of – to the longing for Chase. It was like – as if a family member betrayed you, and all you stood for, all your hopes and dreams and everything you'd ever wished for. Even after all that, after everything, it was a fight not to welcome them back. Because some things run so deep, there is no escaping them.

It was that level of depth that kept me from pulling away when Chase stepped forward, that had me catch Reid's shoulder and push him gently aside, giving Chase free access to me. Something deeper, darker, wilder than my conscious mind accepted him, claimed him, and always would.

I hated it, and accepted it in the same instant. What else could I do? Unless he tried to hurt one of the others, I could no more kill him than I could kill Reid.

Chase offered me his hand.

"Caleb, don't," Reid said urgently, but I made a gesture, silencing him. For the moment, I stared only at Chase, focussed only on him. I shouldn't have trusted him. A human wouldn't have, not after the history between us. But I wasn't human, I wasn't even just a mage. There is no way to explain the instincts that come with being Alpha to someone who has never felt the weight of that invisible crown. Not responsibilities. _Instincts._ So deeply programmed into your very core that there is no hope of ever getting free of them.

"As long as you stick to a truce, it will be live and let live," I said softly. It was an order. I heard a ringing, the sound of crystal under a hammer, just beneath my words. "You won't harm the Covenant. You won't harm the humans living around us. As long as those two rules are followed, we will ignore you, and you will ignore us." I had no illusions: I could not bring him into my pack. No matter how much I wanted to, I loathed the idea too. No matter that he was a member of it anyway, just by the blood in his veins and the Power in his eyes. I loved them all, and could not help that, but I would not let Chase near the others. Not Pogue, who really was my brother. Not Tyler, our baby-boy.

And not Reid. Never, ever near Reid.

"If that's what you want, that's what you'll get," Chase said finally, serious.

Did I believe him? I'm not sure. I wanted to. Either way, I took his hand and shook it, and the pact was sealed.

Chase's POV

The spell I'd spent so many long months learning bled from my hand to his the moment his skin touched mine.

_Stupid, stupid Danvers,_ I smirked mentally, laughing. _So easy to manipulate. You're a slave to your instincts, and you don't even know it._

With my spell-sight, I could see the cold, icy blue frost of my spell creeping quickly up his arm. In moments, as I pulled away and smiled again, pausing before I left, it reached his heart.

And began spreading to the braid of colour stretching from his to Reid's. Heart to heart. Death to death. It was like watching frost spread over a window at night, only the glass was all the colours of the rainbow, and the night was in his eyes.

Coldness, and lust. It was a curse designed to pervert the true nature of a magical bond, to twist and taint it until it was Caleb's hand that broke Reid, not mine. I would never have to touch their precious Peace-Keeper. Caleb would poison him with words and deeds until he finally shattered his darling, gold-haired lover.

But I no longer had the stomach to hope to be there to see that moment. Honestly? Caleb's naiveté amused me, but I just wanted this to be over. I wanted to stop fighting the raging storm always at the back of my mind, threatening to swallow me whole. I had longer than I had had before; the Morrigan's training saw to that.

But that was not the same as saying I had long, before I lost everything.

I didn't linger. When our hands parted, I turned and left them, heading back into the building. I wasn't in the mood for a pissing contest.

As I walked through the school, my hands in my pockets, I tried not to think about the farewell scene the night before. The night had come, and I knew it – but it had been so hard not to cry when the Morrigan opened a door between the worlds for me. I'd have given anything to stay in Otherworld, in the wild, silent forests, the clear waters. Where there was no one else, no Covenant to hate me, no one pretending to care, no masks and no reasons to wear them. Where I could just be me. I'd have given up my sanity if I could do it there. If she'd let me, I would have lived out the rest of my life in her realm, even if it was a short life. I would have. That's what I _wanted._

But she hadn't let me.

"You have too great a destiny to give up and die, Chase," the Morrigan had told me last night. "And it is not in you to bare your throat for the sword. You've come this far by fighting what everyone thought of you. I will not let you prove them right now."

She'd kissed me on the forehead, and handed me my sword. And I'd gone.

The portal had left me in the manor that had once belonged to my family – my real family. Or perhaps it would be better to say, it had belonged to my bloodline. Since calling them 'family' implied more affection than had ever been there. But it was a beautiful house, I had to admit, more than I'd ever really wanted.

It was another reminder that I wasn't like the others. I hadn't grown up in wealth, and now I had it, it made me uncomfortable. I'd never wanted luxury, or the kind of power that came with riches. I just wanted to live. But doors had opened as I walked through the house, chests of gold and crystal, ghostly spell-servants like the handless gloves in some film I remembered from childhood. White, spotless gloves that took my coat and found me dry clothes, everything strangely well-preserved, up to date with current fashions. If I'd guessed there would be clothes – which I hadn't – I would have said they'd have been hundreds of years old. How long ago had a Pope stood here?

But then, the Popes had always been a more materialistic family. When I searched for them, I found spells all over the house, woven into the rooms. Spells to keep the kitchen stocked, to keep the rooms free from dirt and dust, to keep the wardrobes and bookshelves full of clothes and books. (What books? I wondered. How did the spells know what the Popes would want to read?)

No wonder my ancestors had been outcast. With all this magic, they would have become addicted in no time. And careless about exposure.

There was no instruction manual, but it was like the castle in Beauty and the Beast. On instinct, I wished aloud for something – a hot drink, the first time – and it appeared on the table behind me. Whatever I asked for, if the house could provide it, it did.

Lost in my thoughts, I didn't pay attention to where I was going – and where was I going? I had no classes until tomorrow. I thought about going home, though 'home' didn't feel like the right word.

But that was when I felt it. Again. Like a song you can't quite catch, too soft to make out – a song about home, and love, and _life_. Like Power, and more than that. The yin – soft, tranquil, moonlight – to my yang.

The second I thought it, I realised how pathetically idealistic that was. Was I a girl, thumbing through paperback romances and dreaming of fairytales? No. I was a mage, the Rogue, the most dangerous warlock of the Covenant. A warrior, and a killer.

_Get over yourself, Chase._ I snorted, making to move on. I would go home. I should get ready to go back to classes tomorrow. And wouldn't that be fun?

The Morrigan taught me to concentrate. To focus on my surroundings. To never put a step wrong. I could run at full speed through the treetops using nothing but branches under my feet, and never stumble once.

But this Power didn't want to be noticed, and yet it called to me. I followed it without following. Searched without searching. The Pied Piper played his tune, and I couldn't have resisted even if I'd realised what was happening.

Which was how I found Tyler.

And everything went to Hell.

Tyler's POV

I was hiding in the car like a little kid, but I couldn't make myself go back in there. Not. With. Chase. Somewhere inside.

Not when I couldn't stop crying.

I'd always looked up to Reid. To all of them, but especially Reid. He was cocky, brave, smart – everything I'd ever wanted to be. One of the guys, when I was just the kid brother. Born last and marked out forever as the 'baby-boy' – and that was okay. Really. I loved them, and I knew it wasn't a kind of puppy-love – that they loved me too. We were brothers, not just Brothers.

But then, with Caleb…No, I hadn't wanted to be the Peace-Keeper. I still couldn't imagine being in Reid's place, having Caleb look at me like that. It would just be weird. Too strange.

But I wanted…_that._ I wanted what Reid _had_. I wanted _someone_ to look at me that way, to want me that much, to…love me. Like that.

I swallowed angrily and brushed the tears away, trying to stop. This was pathetic. I should be over this. I shouldn't _care_.

_God, if the guys saw me now, they'd laugh their asses off,_ I thought. Only they wouldn't. Not really. Maybe human friends would, but not my Brothers. Reid wouldn't. Caleb wouldn't. Hell, even Pogue would understand, a little. Would try to, anyway, and that was what counted.

Right?

_I could have lived with this. I could have dealt! But why – why, of everyone on the fucking planet did it have to be __**Chase?**_

God! I wanted to be sick, remembering him touching me. It had felt amazing, but the hands that had touched me had tried to kill Caleb. Had almost killed Sarah. And that just made it worse. How could I have enjoyed it? How could I still want it, how could I possibly believe in the other side of him when I knew, when we _all_ knew what he had done?

My eyes widened. _Shit!_ I'd been such a baby I'd run out, and left them a mage short. What if he tried something? What if they got hurt because I wasn't there to help?

It cleared my head; the tears stopped and I threw the car door open, cursing. _There you go again, Ty, letting your pathetic baby tears get you in trouble._ Damn it! If they'd needed me, and I wasn't there…I'd never forgive myself.

Chase's POV

It was as if he'd sensed me coming, and run out to meet me.

The car in front of me opened, and he stumbled out. Tyler, Tyler stumbled out, face red and hair a mess, delicate and beautiful and shining like pure marble even past the tear-streaks on his face.

His eyes met mine, and I – I knew. I knew, and I understood that he knew, and I couldn't look away from him.

Gods.

I could only stand and stare, frozen, as his body seized mid-step, locking him in place with one foot on the ground, one hand on the door, blue eyes widening in horror as he looked at me.

"No," he whispered, but I barely heard him. That song…I could hear the song. The music. The siren-call, pulling me forward, emanating from his chest, the core of him where his Power wove into his psyche, and a huge wave of loss and need and something – something sweet, and beautiful, and lighter than anything I'd ever been allowed to touch – swept over me.

I reached for him, and he flinched back, away from me, but he couldn't fool me. He was trembling, his knuckles white on the door, fighting the urge to come closer. To come to me.

"It's you," I said softly, awed. I forgot to be the Rogue, I forgot the Morrigan's training. I forgot my sword, and my pride, and my Power. There was nothing but the song, and the sweet memories of him. The lust and the hunger, yes, that was part of it. But this was more than that. It was the way he was glowing in my spell-sight; it was the way he called to me, the innocence and purity of him. Like an angel.

"No!" He shook his head quickly, panic warring with indecision; he tried to step back, away from me, but he only backed into the black wall of the Hummer. "No, I – please, don't. I don't want –"

I stopped moving forward. My hand touched the side of the car, beside his head, but I wasn't touching him. I only watched, hungrily drinking in the sight of him, unable to resist the song twining around my heart, my mind, my Power. "Say it," I said softly, watching those sapphire eyes flicker with a multitude of emotions. "Say you don't want this. Say it, Tyler. And I won't touch you."

His lips parted, but no words came out; he stared up at me helplessly, still trembling like a newborn butterfly, fresh out of the cocoon.

_Yes_. No more words. My hand slid to cup his jaw, and I kissed him.

Tyler's POV

The moment he touched me, nothing else mattered. Every fear, every worry, melted away like shadows in sunlight, and I melted with them. Melted into him.

I felt our Power purr and braid into each other happily through the touch of our skin, and my arms came up around his neck, desperately pulling him closer as the first wave of starlight-pleasure rolled through me, too great for my body to hold and yet, not physical sensation at all. It was more than that, deeper than that.

It felt like coming home. The touch of his mouth on mine was like the first raindrops falling on parched earth after months of drought, years of drought. Like life – as if…as if…

The tip of his tongue traced my lips, so softly, so gently it made my heart ache, and I surrendered instantly, willingly. Wanted, needed more. He was the sky, the rain, and my whole body was a desert.

I _needed_ him. Tendrils of his Power coiled around me, soft and firm, pulled me closer. Grasping, searching for me the way a drowning man searches for the lifeline that could save him.

_I'm here,_ I whispered silently, Power to Power and wordless. _I'm here. Hold on to me._ _I'm here._

I was drowning too. Drowning in him. But steel flashed in me, somewhere deep down where it had been hidden even from me – cold and smooth and strong, the kind of strength I couldn't even begin to guess at. Strength that could save the damaged soul in my arms, I knew it, _knew_ it.

He heard me. I felt him stiffen against me, freeze against my mouth.

And then he shoved me away.

Chase's POV

He stumbled again, and it took effort not to catch his elbow and right him. His mouth was red, a little swollen, and I didn't want to resist the temptation of his glazed, smoky eyes.

The song. Oh, that music…It summoned me, coiled around my wrists and pulled at me demandingly, wanting me closer. My own Power reached out for him, wanted to wrap around his slim body. Possess him. Consume him.

Mark him.

But he wasn't enough. I forced my gaze to harden, a mask to come down over my face even as I furiously tried to figure out what had just happened. Tyler – it had been Tyler in my dreams. Tyler who, even now, opened the floodgates of loss and pain just because I was no longer touching him.

But it would not, could not be Tyler I bonded with. He wasn't strong enough. He couldn't give me back my sanity. This? This was our magic's instinctive reaction to keep me grounded. Caleb and Reid were both taken by another spell. Kate must have been Pogue's True Love, because that alone could deny the magnetism of ungrounded Power.

Which left Tyler. Tyler, my natural partner. The one I should have been with. The one I should have bonded to. I stared at him and tried not to feel pain, knowing that in another life, in an alternate universe, he could have been mine. That beautiful, innocent, perfect mage could have been _mine._

If I hadn't had two shares of Power. If I'd only been born into the Covenant as the others were. If I'd only been a real Brother, I could have had him. I could have belonged to him. I could have…We could have been so…

I looked away, snarling softly to myself. For the second time today, I was losing it. Get a grip!

Caleb was the one I needed. It didn't matter what my heart – what anyone else wanted. I only wanted to live. And for that, only the Covenant Alpha would do.

"Ch-Chase?" Tyler asked, hesitant and meek. It ran a crack through something in me, to hear him so afraid. Of me. _I wouldn't hurt you!_ I wanted to yell. _Not you! Never you! _He was mine. He was _supposed_ to be mine! He'd been born so he could ground me, I knew that in the same way you know the sky is blue, but I couldn't – I just couldn't – have – him.

If only. _Gods, Fate, why are you so cruel to me? Why?_

"Nothing happened," I hissed, forcing ice into my voice, into my eyes. He flinched, and my heart ached in sympathy. "Don't even think of telling anyone, baby-boy, or you'll go to top of my list."

I wanted to reach for him. Needed to. To hold him, to apologise, to explain everything and hope that he could understand, could help me. _I don't want to drown._

_But you can't save me._

If I could have, I would have lingered. Would have touched him again, one last time. But if I did, I would never leave.

"Why?" He whispered, and his voice was so broken, so despairing, that for an instant I turned back to him, my hand half-raised in some aborted gesture of comfort.

Catching myself, I smirked, hoping it would hide the glitter in my eyes.

"What can I say? You're just not enough for me, baby."

I couldn't live with the abject misery in his eyes for more than a second. Without warning, I shimmered back to the Pope manor. And collapsed in the middle of the hallway, my head in my hands as that old wound – the raw, gaping, primal scream of agony I'd locked away after that time in the Dreaming Place – was thrown wide open inside me.

With none but the spelled servants to witness me, I raised my head to the high ceilings and screamed.

Tyler's POV

"_What can I say? You're just not enough for me, baby."_

My expression shuttered, and I fell back against the cool metal of the car as he vanished into thin air.

I wouldn't cry. I wasn't going to cry. It didn't matter. None of it mattered. Nothing, no one mattered.

Least of all me. And it wasn't important, the gaping loss torn wide open in my chest, having my dream in my arms and ripped away from beneath my fingertips. It didn't matter that I'd felt what I'd felt, that the braid our Power had made was left raw and bleeding from where he'd torn himself free of it. The sense of rejection not only didn't matter, it was ridiculous.

I didn't know what actually mattered. I didn't know anything. Didn't want to know anything.

I couldn't even make it back inside the car. In the back of my mind, I registered that it had started to rain, but most of my concentration was on my body, sliding down the car to the ground.

I hugged my knees to my chest, blank, empty, and cold. God, so cold. So cold after being held so close, so warm.

I don't know when I realised that it wasn't rain falling down my cheeks.


	19. In Dark Waters

So it's been WAY too long since I updated this! I'm so sorry for keeping everyone waiting - and thank you so much to everyone who reviewed. I haven't been very good at replying to reviews and messages lately, but I promise I'll work on that :)

This chapter is especially dedicated to Synner23, for giving me the last encouraging nudge to finally finish this chapter (I've had 3/4s of it for months, but that last little bit...) So even though I didn't respond to you, Synner, thank you so much for your review :)

And now, onwards!

* * *

_Chapter Eighteen – In Deep Waters_

Pogue's POV

As we walked back into the building, I was trying to work out a way of the four of us taking Chase out for good. Caleb had two shares of Power now, but the next Ascension was mine, in two months. Did we have that kind of time? But I still thought we could do it. Tyler was our 'weak link' and even he was stronger than his father had been.

…Come to think of it, I was stronger than mine, too. I looked at Reid, wondering. Mr Garwin had never been interested in his son, or his friends, so I didn't know him well enough to guess. And Caleb…Caleb was the strongest mage anyone had ever seen. We all knew that. It was why he made the best Alpha.

So I thought we could do it.

"Car accident, my ass," Reid growled, and I tuned in to the conversation he and Caleb were having. "Some shit's going on with his Power, Cay, and you know it." We all tended to listen when Reid sensed something off about our magic. Maybe it was the fact that he Used so much more than any of us, but he'd always been able to tell when we were about to get sick, or sense our emotions, through the rise and fall of our Power. If he said there was something different about Chase's, then I wanted to hear it.

"What exactly are you talking about?" I asked him, and he glanced my way. His eyes were normal again; all of us had released our magic to settle back in its place.

"Last time…" Reid waved a hand, searching for the words. "He crackled. I didn't know what it was, 'caus we didn't realise he was a warlock, right? But now, it's – it's like a calm, a deep lake with monsters in it. Fine on the surface, twisted up and breaking apart underneath." He looked back at Caleb, and it didn't take a genius to see the worry in his eyes. "I don't like it, Cay."

Our Alpha was silent – and that _I_ didn't like.

"Caleb?" I stepped forward and touched his shoulder, wanting him to look at me. "Man, what's wrong?"

Stupid question. He'd just shaken hands with the guy that tried to kill him. But –

Caleb flinched away from my hand, as if I was going to try and hit him. Reid and I both stared.

"What?" He snapped, and it was Reid's turn to flinch. Something was off, wrong. In all the weeks since he Ascended, Caleb had _never_ spoken to Reid like that. There'd been so much sappy cuddling it'd been making me gag, putting me off my meals and everything. I mean, I loved them, I really did. And most of it was just me playing. It had turned into a kind of joke.

But – I'd seen the flood of hurt in Reid's eyes that Caleb had never seen. How many times had Caleb pushed back too hard, not realising that Reid's sharp tongue was just his way of looking for reassurance? How many times had Caleb hurt him, badly?

Only for Reid's face to shutter, the way it was doing now.

I punched Caleb in the shoulder before I could think.

"_Don't,_" I said fiercely, ready to stare him down when he turned angry eyes on me. "Fuck sake, man, it's _Reid_. You just defended him against Chase. You let that bastard mess you guys up, I'll take it out of your hide. You got that?"

For a minute, no one moved. I'd even surprised myself. But eventually, Caleb nodded.

"Good," I said quietly, a little embarrassed. Jeez, what was I doing, defending Reid's bloody honour like that? "And hey." I lowered my voice, so Reid wouldn't hear me. "Don't take it out on him, Cay. He loves you. Talk to him, okay?"

Again, Caleb nodded, sighing. He pulled away from me, and I let him.

"C'mere, Reid," he said softly. I turned away, sliding my hands into my pockets as I left them to it. Was it still weird, having them together? Yeah, a bit. But they were happy, and if a girl couldn't do that, then I was glad they had each other.

Reid's POV

He held his hand out to me, and for the first time since I accepted the bond, I wasn't sure I wanted to take it.

Chase had felt wrong. He'd felt wrong before, and it was why I'd started pulling away from my friends when they started spending all their time with him. He'd been like poison, like a creeper vine that spreads and spreads and kills everything it touches.

I wished, now, that I'd told the others back then. But the only one who would have listened without questioning me was Ty. He came with me, pulled away with me. Trusted me. But I'd known the others wouldn't listen.

Caleb felt wrong. Not in the same way, but – he felt different. Bad. And the way he'd snapped at me – it was too much like the old us. Could you blame me, for that one reminder bringing back years of hurt, years of keeping my shields up around him? It hadn't been romantic back then – I hadn't wanted kisses and sex and hugs. But he was our Alpha. I could feel myself sliding into addiction and I'd needed him. I'd needed to know he was strong enough to save me.

"Reid?" He looked confused, but I still felt wary. It wasn't that he'd snapped at me. In the grand scheme of things, it wasn't a big deal. But right after Chase, so soon after he'd refused to listen to me, now that he was still blocking me from hearing his thoughts, feeling what he felt…We were one thread away from moving on to the next step – we'd come so far – but it just didn't feel right.

Someone else would have stayed and talked. Any other day, I think I would have. I'd trusted him. Become someone new for him. And in an instant, he'd gone back to the old him.

Why was he locking me out?

"No," I said softly. I turned around and walked away from him.

I thought – hoped – that he'd call me back. But he didn't.

"Coven-meet in two hours, Reid," was all he said.

And I fought not to shiver. His voice was so damn cold.

Tyler's POV

I lost track of time, sitting by the car. I could have been sitting out there for hours before Reid came and found me.

We didn't talk. If anyone had been going to ask what was wrong, it would have been him, but he didn't. At the time, I didn't even care. My Power felt weak and shivery, ripples in a pond where there had been a river, and I just…It was as if Chase had reached into my chest and ripped my heart out, and now there was nothing. A hollow, empty space that throbbed dully with a numbed pain.

I could barely think, and I didn't want to.

Without thinking about it, we both got in the car, forgetting the rest of the day's classes. We drove in silence, both of us locked inside our own heads. We'd always been able to talk to each other, but I couldn't form the words to even start explaining. And if I had – it wasn't like Reid getting tangled up with Caleb. It wasn't the Alpha/Peace-Keeper bond, something natural and, frankly, inescapable. There was no explanation for this, no reason beyond my own sick, twisted-up wants.

How could I…? _Chase…_

Nobody blinked twice when Reid walked through the door with me, least of all me. He'd stayed over so many times over the years we'd all lost count. His parents weren't abusive, exactly, but they'd never been the warmest people. High-flying society types, with no time for a little boy even if he was a warlock. My mom had all but adopted him when she realised just how touch-starved he was, and I'd never minded sharing her hugs and bedtime stories with my best friend. He'd never gotten any of that at his own home.

"We're meant to meet up with the others in a couple of hours," Reid said suddenly when I fell face-first onto my bed. "Caleb's calling a Coven-meet."

I looked up at him blankly. He was standing framed in the doorway, as if he was hesitating over whether or not to come in.

"I think I'm gonna skip," I muttered, shrugging off my jacket without getting up. Seeing the school crest on the jacket made me realise that we'd both just bunked off afternoon classes, but where yesterday that would have made me hurry back and hope no one had noticed, today I just didn't care.

So what? It was just school…

"Skip?" Now Reid looked worried, and in a few seconds he was sitting on the bed beside me, poking my head in a mockery of playfulness. "Dude, are you okay? What's up with you, anyway?"

I rolled onto my side, watching him. Wondering if I could possibly say anything. Remembering how he'd felt, those first few weeks getting used to his bond with Caleb – he might get it. Of all my Brothers, Reid had the biggest chance of understanding.

Just because it was a higher chance than any of the others, didn't mean it was a big chance.

I pushed his hand away. "I'm fine, Reid. Just tired. And freaked out," I added, sure that was a safe topic.

Reid nodded slowly. "Yeah. Me too," he admitted quietly. "I mean. Fucking _Chase_."

The pain in my chest throbbed, and I didn't say anything.

"But you know we need you," Reid said suddenly. "If anyone has to go to this Meet, you do. No one else knows the books like you do, right?" He looked at me. "Ever heard of someone having solid black eyes in the histories?"

"Some vague references," I murmured, not really thinking. "Probably find more if I looked."

"Exactly." He punched my shoulder gently, but I closed my eyes, too tired and numb and miserable to play the game. "Ty?"

"Mm?"

For a minute, neither of us said anything. I held my breath, both scared and hoping that he'd ask, that he'd _listen_.

Then -

"Never mind," he muttered, climbing off the bed. I kept the disappointment off my face. "Just. Chill out for an hour, okay? I'll come get you when we should head off."

"Yeah, okay," I mumbled, curling on my side facing away from the door. I didn't want to deal with it. With him or the Meet or fucking Chase. I didn't want to even think about it.

Somewhere, some god must have been listening, because in minutes I was fast asleep.

Then again, it might have been a demon.

Chase's POV

It shouldn't have surprised me that when I eventually hit the sack, exhausted by the outpouring of stress and emotion, I ended up in our shared dream world.

But it really, really did.

"Oh no. Oh _hell _no!"

I heard him before I saw him – Tyler, standing on the shore of the lake, the glow of the crystalline trees picking out the anger and panic on his face when he spotted me, too. Maybe now that we'd met again in the real world, the magic of this place couldn't mask us anymore.

I had no idea what to say to him, not even an hour after I'd broken his heart into little pieces. And while we both slept, I couldn't leave – but I could retreat and hide in the trees, as I'd done before. Wait for someone to wake him up, wherever his body was.

Without a word, I turned away, hardening my heart and planning on doing just that –

_Shimmer-shiver-whisper-hiss-_

The bolt of Power struck between my shoulder blades, and I stumbled, swallowing the curse aching and pulsing in the bones of my hands, purring and coaxing. _One spell, he deserves it, go on go on go on…_

"Don't fucking walk away from me, you bastard!" Tyler yelled, and this time I caught the soft hiss and crack of spell-cast – heard it without ears, not a sound but a shiver in my own Power, like a plucked harp string – in time to leap aside, turning on my heel to face him. "You brought me here, didn't you? The whole time, I thought – and it was _you!_"

Something like shame welled up in me, but I could hardly deny it. What could I say? Even with the wild, tearing fury of addiction creeping up on me faster and faster – it had been easier, in Otherworld, invisible and almost forgotten – I knew I should just back away. Leave him alone. The longing that burned every time I looked at him, thought of him, was meaningless – and definitely something I couldn't act on.

Tyler's POV

He looked so tired, so resigned, as if the weight of the whole damn world was on his shoulders – and I just snapped. How _dare_ he do this to me, make me feel this way, rip my world apart and scatter the pieces to the four winds – and then act as if _he_ were the one suffering because of it?

_How dare he make me feel as if someone could love me, _me,_ and then take it away?_ A voice whispered in the back of my mind, but I tried to ignore it.

Everything – everything came screaming out of me. The tension that had built and built, feeling Chase coming closer and closer to the door of the office. The happiness I'd felt that someone had wanted me, even if it was someone in my dreams. The blow when I'd turned around to realise that this, too – these dreams – was Chase. The rush when our Power had braided together, the warmth and soaring joy I'd felt at it. The snap as my heart broke. Embarrassed, ashamed. Unworthy. _Rejected_.

I hurled electricity from my hands, a whipping, snarling bolt that lashed through the air at him. It tore free of me with a howl that seemed to shake the world, and I laughed with pure, wild exhilaration: no sooner had it gone flying for Chase than I had another burning between my spread hands, this one a crackling ball that I laced with a wintery wind and flecks of ice. Power shot through my veins like a drug, every nerve ending alight and every synapse firing a thousand times a second, every hair on end and I'd never felt so _alive_, so _full_ of strength and magic and sheer, awesome _Power_.

The sphere shot from me like a bullet and I didn't even watch to see if it hit Chase or not; I had another in my palms, and another, another, and then I shaped the air around me into a roaring wind that spun me around like a toy, my arms spread wide while I crowed with fey delight. I must have looked like a maniac, a wild thing, and I didn't care: no wonder Reid had never been able to stop, if it felt like this! Never, I'd never gone beyond the boundaries Caleb and my parents had set, I'd been the good boy all my life – and it felt _so good_ to fall now, to strip off my grace the way you'd tear free of chains.

_Free. _

I was _animal._

Why on earth had I never done this before?

Chase's POV

Without warning he shot upwards into the air, caressed and protected by his wind that snapped so fiercely I could all but _see_ it; and I couldn't tear my eyes away. My shirt was ruined, scorched and burned by his attacks, but it was only a dream-thing, the pain numbed, something that I wouldn't wake up with.

It didn't matter.

I should never have been surprised. By the extent of his Power, by the fact that he cast the strongest hexes and curses without blinking, by the fierce wildness that lay just beneath the baby-boy exterior. He was _mine_, shaped by his own Power for me, to be my lover, my equal, my partner in the way no one else could ever dream of being. _Of course_ he'd been drawn to learn those spells, even if he'd never cast a single one before today. _Of course_ he was stronger than he appeared. _Of course_ there was something fiery and wild and untameable just beneath the surface of him. He was the other half of me, my mirror image, and if I'd been raised a Brother nothing in this world or any other could have stopped me from claiming him.

Gods, he was – beautiful, and the word didn't do him justice. Hanging there, suspended in the air, kissed by winds and his eyes black as onyx, as midnight, as the deepest core of all our Power, he burned like an elemental. Magic ran in his veins instead of blood.

He stared at me as if daring me to come and get him.

I'd taken a step forward before I realised what I was doing, and then I snarled, tearing myself back. No. No! I wouldn't make this worse. I couldn't. No matter how my Power sang, loud and hypnotic, coaxing and seductive, pulsing through my skin and bones and in the outline of my mouth, the roots of my hair. Until I couldn't hear anything else: held fast by the ebony of Tyler's eyes, I couldn't move, couldn't look away, could hear nothing but the song. My heart beat to it like a ritual drum.

Building. Building. Building. And he only waited, on fire, burning. For me.

Tyler's POV

Beyond thought, I reached out my hand for him. Burning. I blazed, on fire, flames sliding down my throat with every breath, racing through my veins, bright in my eyes – ethereal, silvery fire, ghost-flames, distilled Power.

I saw the hunger in his face. I saw it beyond his face, the starved, famished shreds of his Power. Hungry, so hungry – and fierce with it. Not weak, no – never weak. Savage, strong, deadly. A wolf shaped by harsh winters.

Gods, the thought made me shudder. Desire lashed in me, a white-hot whip cracking across my core. _Yes._ The hunter, the wolf.

_Chase._

_Mine._

"Come here," I whispered – and glorified in the rings of flame that bled through his eyes at the sound of my voice. It made me feel powerful in a way that had nothing to do with magic, an instant addiction every bit as dangerous as Power. Not that I cared. Not that I could think of anything else but him, the smooth, lithe grace of him that stalked towards me like a predator.

Here was the warlock who had nearly exposed us. Threatened to kill us. Fought to tear Caleb's Power from him and come so close to succeeding.

None of it mattered.

I let go of the spell and dropped to the ground, landing in a crouch as lightly as a cat. My body thrummed, my Power purred, and I smirked as I stood upright, extending my hand again.

_Come to me,_ I sang, without words, without a voice. Power to Power, and I felt it rippling out of me in slow, languid spirals that grew wider and wider, black and sweet. Silk cords, a net of shadows, inescapable and desirable – because I knew, without even needing to see the fires at the edges of his onyx sockets, that he wouldn't fight it. Couldn't fight it. _Wanted me_.

He shuddered under my hand when I cupped his cheek; his eyes fell closed and I purred, pulled him down to me so I could run my mouth over the curve of his jaw. He smelled of sweat and magic and deep forests, tasted like spice and skin when I touched the tip of my tongue to the soft lobe of his ear.

His moan sounded like music.

Chase's POV

It was too much: I tried to grab him and pull him closer, crush his body against mine and swallow his Power whole. This dance, this game he was playing with me, was driving me insane; teasing my addiction, the raw, feral side of me, drawing it out into the open and wordlessly demanding I not react to it. That I let him do what he wanted. Bear it.

Impossible.

My hand tangled in his hair, dragged him full and flush against me and I bent for his mouth with a snarl – _mine, mine, always mine_ – he had no right to deny me, _made for me, born for me, mine, mine, __**mine**_ –

I never had a chance.

His mouth crashed into mine and our Power – I tried to pull away, the roaring tsunami of pleasure was too much, too fast, our Power locked together like puzzle pieces and I nearly screamed. It was overwhelming, unreal, sensation that went so much deeper than the body that it made the world spin like a top, sex with souls – and we were tearing at each other, snarling and kissing and clawing at each other's clothes as if we had only minutes before the end of the world; a blast sent me sprawling onto crystallised grass and then he was on me, Tyler, straddling my hips and trying to get inside my skin.

I couldn't think. Not now. Not with his tongue darting and teasing in my mouth, his hair, his smooth untouched skin under my hands, the inhuman wildness making him writhe and arch in my grasp like a snake, breathless. He moved like a dancer, like an animal; his nails scored red lines over my chest when he ripped my shirt away, scattering the white buttons like flecks of snow, and I hissed at the flash of pain. He bared his teeth in a savage grin and I dragged him back down, biting his lip until I tasted rust and ichor, fisting my hand in the silk of his hair so he groaned.

"You like that?" I purred, biting again more lightly, running my hands over his sides under his shirt.

"Fuck yes," he breathed, and I nearly expired right then and there: the good boy, baby-boy, shoving free of my grasp to rock back over my hips, leaning on one hand against my chest…His eyes closed, and his features softened. Some of the animal heat melted away, but only some, and only – only for a second; and then he rocked into me, over me, riding my aching cock through our clothes.

Tyler's POV

He groaned and arched off the ground, and I felt his hands hook under my arms and curl over my shoulders, pulling me down into him so hard that stars burst behind my eyes. I made a sound, but I couldn't close my eyes: I had to watch him, had to see that face – hard, hungry, starving for life and Power and love – transformed by pleasure into something _else_.

This wasn't the Chase that had tried to destroy us. This was the boy – the _man_ – that my Power had chosen as my other half.

Unable to resist, I leaned down and kissed him.

Chase's POV

His mouth on mine – his body pressing against me, the whole hot lithe length of it – he was an incubus, every fantasy and desire come to life in my arms, and his Power when it merged with mine –

Groaning again, I rocked my hips and he laughed against me, deliciously breathless, the both of us lost in it, in each other. Why did our magic demand such a slow courtship between warlocks, when the very nature of our Power made it so hard to resist each other? If I could have, I would have torn the clothes from his body and taken him then, made him scream my name, shown and given him ecstasy he'd never dared to dream of.

He was _mine_. He tucked his head against my neck, the sounds spilling from his lips making my eyes burn – and the gesture left his neck pressed against my mouth.

"Do it," he whispered softly when I froze, his fingers curling on my shoulders, his mouth at my ear. "Chase, _do it._"

Tyler's POV

I could feel his mouth on my neck, and it was driving me crazy, insane. My Power roared, a storm inside – and my body shook with it; I writhed over him, the smooth strength of him, wanting closer, wanting _more_.

I could feel my Power, my _life_, throbbing just beneath the skin, hot and languid and holding its breath, holding mine. I couldn't stay still; like a cat in heat and just as shameless in the pursuit of pleasure, I rubbed myself over the whole length of him, aching for him to take what I was offering. Take _me_.

One bite, and I was his. All of my life, all of my magic, my heart and soul, was wrapped up in my pulse, was beating against his lips. How could he bear it? How could he not _move_, how could he do anything but take it? Didn't he feel this? The _want_, the hunger, the _need_ – the braid our Power made as it met and melded, purring through our bodies with the voice of a tiger, tying us together. _Yes, yes, yes!_ Didn't he understand that I'd been made for him, shaped for him since birth by the magic that owned us both? That I was already his, and he was _mine_, and he could let go of the fear coiled tight as a spring in his chest because I would never, _never_ let him fall?

I could feel it. Running my hands over him, squirming, panting, I could feel it under his skin. Braided with mine, it felt frayed and tattered, falling apart. Snapping like electricity in water.

If he had been anyone else – if he hadn't been chosen for me by the Power – the sensation of it would have terrified me. His magic met mine and I could feel both in my chest, in my gut – but instead of fear, there was only the want, the need, the deep, nameless well of emotion just waiting for his teeth to let it out.

I'd spent my life believing in magic, trusting the Power even though it could be a harsh, brutal mistress.

I trusted it now. Despite everything, despite Chase's past and what he'd done to Caleb, to all of us – he was my Power's other half. And that meant that whatever was on the surface, whatever I thought I knew about him – he was _mine_.

Chase didn't trust.

Chase's POV

His pulse throbbed against my lips and my teeth physically ached, hungry to bite deep into willing flesh and leave my mark there, my _claim_, create an anchor for the magic and open the gate to bind us deeper than anything. I wanted it more than I wanted his body underneath me, more than I wanted to hear my name moaned in that voice, more than I wanted air.

More than I wanted my sanity.

I stroked my palms down his spine and he arched into the touch – so beautiful, so responsive, so amazingly perfect. His Power was so smooth and soft, and so strong, wrapping around mine and through it and supporting it, helping to hold me together. Blissful.

I wanted him.

I kissed his neck, letting myself linger, draw it out. His life. Tyler, all of him, pulsing for me. How appropriate, that the small circle on his throat that held the gate to his Power was also his pulse, his lifeblood?

I wanted him.

But I couldn't hurt him. Couldn't hurt anything this perfect. I could claim him, could Bond with him easily enough – but he wasn't strong enough to feed my need, couldn't hold me together alone. The Bond would share our strength and I would drain him while flooding my addiction through his veins.

I'd destroy him.

So I let him go.

Tyler's POV

One moment my heart was in my throat, frozen and still with unbearable anticipation as I felt his lips, his teeth, touch my neck.

_Yes. Gods, yes._

The next, I was staring up at my bedroom ceiling. Very much awake, and so very far away from the boy that held my destiny that I could have screamed.

The tension that had been on the brink of release shook me, demanding an outlet. I could feel the ebony in my eyes.

"Damn you!" I shouted, the fury more potent than the Power had ever been as it rushed through me, set me alight with a very different kind of fire. "_Damn you, Chase!_"

Again. He'd pushed me away _again!_ When I knew he'd felt it! I knew he knew it, knew he wanted me, knew I could smooth the roughened, frayed edges of his Power, knew I could heal him. But he'd rejected me _again._

Cursing him, and hating him, and loving him, I rolled over and punched my pillow viciously, trying to ignore the sting of tears, like embers on my skin. _Damn you, Chase._


End file.
